


Calamari

by Oilux



Category: Gravity Falls
Genre: Alternate Universe - Pirates, BillDip, Complete, M/M, Pirate AU, Pirate!AU, Pirate!Dipper, Siren Bill, first billdip fic, more tags to be added later, mute Bill, mute!bill, siren au, siren!au, siren!bill
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-13
Updated: 2016-08-20
Packaged: 2018-05-06 09:01:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 20
Words: 32,009
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5410865
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Oilux/pseuds/Oilux
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Bill Cipher was a disgrace to other sirens. Captured, put on display for a novelty act on a pier, Bill resigned himself to spending every day looking at the ocean he would never be able to swim in again. That was, until a certain brown haired pirate discovered him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Little Fish

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Dipdop_Pinetop](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dipdop_Pinetop/gifts).
  * Translation into Русский available: [Кальмар - Calamari](https://archiveofourown.org/works/9649379) by [MirrorGirl](https://archiveofourown.org/users/MirrorGirl/pseuds/MirrorGirl)



> Dedicated to J, who inspired me to write this fic.

He had heard the way the humans described him. Gorgeous, the next world wonder, unnatural, a monster. They were all words that held absolutely no meaning to the siren anymore as he sat at the bottom of his small tub. The walls of it were clear, and he had a clear view of the small children who were staring at him in a combination of shock and awe.

Even with malnutrition and the lack of exercise, the golden scales on his tail shimmered and glittered in the light of the sun. Parts of his tail were bare of scales, leaving ugly bare patches on him. He wasn’t nearly as healthy as he should be, and it showed with the way his ribs stuck out and the way his cheeks were sunken in. Even then, he knew no one cared, as emphasized with the large dark scar on his neck that no one ever asked about.

The ringleader of the small circus was standing next to his tank, gesturing at the siren who looked almost lifeless in the water. He stood on a small platform so that he could look down at the siren and the crowd, always managing to talk wildly with his hands as he spoke. The man was a short man, not short enough to be a part of the ‘freak show’ he kept, but short enough to have platforms everywhere so he would feel taller than everyone else.

“This, ladies and gentleman, is a mysterious creature known only to the bottom of the seas. We believe it’s male, since it doesn’t have the normal reproductive parts human females have.” The man leered at a couple of the women who tucked their children tighter against them.

Silently, he glanced at the tank with the siren in it and pulled a large pole out from behind him, poking it through the water and jabbing the siren. The siren didn’t react other than the automatic response of slightly floating up and facing the crowd.

“While most believe he’s a merman, he’s really a siren, as we found out.” The ringleader spoke as Bill rested against the edge of the tank, his head poking above water. “We had to take care of that problem right away.”

Using the pole, the ringmaster tilted the siren’s head back so that the crowd could see the dark scar that littered his neck. Several people gasped, and the siren silently sighed to himself, and the ringmaster just chuckled at people’s reactions, letting the siren’s head drop.

“We had to remove his vocal cords so that the siren couldn’t sing and affect us. Now, he’s perfectly harmless, but he does have a sharp set of teeth on him. Sirens are meat eaters, after all.” The man declared, and on cue the siren fell back on the tub and sunk back down. That was all that was needed from him, and the people were in awe over him.

The ringmaster finally got down from the small pedestal and moved on to the next act. “Now, next is the two headed snake! We have some of the sirens scales for sale, they say that if you grind them up and put them in your tea, they will give you eternal youth.”

Shutting his eyes and leaning his head back, the siren didn’t care to even open his eyes as he felt someone come near the tank. It wasn’t worth it, maybe they would think he was just an act and in a costume. Maybe they would kill him and put him out of his misery. If he had opened his eyes, he would have seen a young man with chocolate colored eyes staring down at him with fluffy dark colored hair. Not that it would have mattered, since before he had opened his eyes, the brown haired male was gone, and the siren was alone once more.

* * *

 On a ship larger than the ones, a plain blue flag gently floated in the breeze. It was normally windy in port, as the sea was known to blow mighty winds to help ships move about. Yet the day was a calm one, with nothing but the shining sun for company and the smallest of breezes. A small man with brown hair walked casually towards the ship with a blue flag, seeming to walk both with ease and yet still be in a rush. One passing him might wonder where he was going, but no one ever thought to get in his way.

The man climbed on board of the ship he called home for now, heading immediately into the bowels of the ship. Dipper Pines had started his journey out to sea with a promise of the sea and working to capture fish, but instead he found himself on a pirate ship that refused to bring him home and be rid of the one person who knew how to read. Not that Dipper wanted to be there, but the captain of the ship, a man named Gideon Gleeful, wasn’t willing to bring his ship anywhere near where he had first picked up Dipper. More than likely it was because he knew that Dipper would return and spill the secrets of one of the most notorious pirate ship disguised as a fishing barge.

Dipper sighed as he walked towards the captain’s quarters, actually dreading going to tell the white haired male the news. Gideon had heard about the siren that was supposedly kept in a tank near the pier, and he wanted to see if it was real. The other men of the crew couldn’t be trusted with something like that, Gideon had said, they wouldn’t know what to look for.

Yet Dipper would know. Gideon and Dipper had grown up in the same small town together, and they knew more about each other than most others cared to learn. Gideon had managed to convince Dipper to come aboard on his ship by telling him it was a fishing barge, and that he would be able to send his pay home to his sister while Dipper himself was out seeing the world. Instead he had been roped into being a pirate with no way to get home.

“Captain.” Dipper muttered, knocking lightly before he entered the man's quarters. Gideon was sitting at his desk, a quill in hand as he looked down at a map. Gideon often poured over the maps he had, trying to find the next place to go.

“You’re back, boy, what did you find out?” Gideon didn’t glance up from his work, though Dipper sent him a sharp look. Dipper was older than Gideon, yet the white haired male always managed to make Dipper feel smaller than he was.

“It’s real.” Dipper muttered. “A real siren. They cut out it’s vocal cords, so it can’t sing.”

Gideon glanced up from his map, looking over at Dipper for a moment before he gave a large smirk. On his chubby face it didn’t look threatening, but Dipper knew by this point to be wary anytime Gideon was smiling.

“Go get Ghost Eyes and Killbone, get them to grab the tub, and go get the siren.” Gideon talked as though he wasn’t asking for the world, laying his elbows on the table and his head in his chubby hands. He was even using the voice Dipper recognized from the old days when Gideon would insist he was psychic.

“You want us to what?” Dipper asked, quite shocked. Kidnap a siren? From what he had seen, that siren wasn’t happy, and looked almost lifeless. “What are we going to do with a siren?”

“Do just what they’re doing! Sell it or be like a traveling circus. I heard their voice is so lovely they just put armies to sleep.” Gideon sighed like a lovestruck fool.

Dipper gently dragged his hands down his face, shaking his head. “Seriously? Fine, I’ll be back.”

It wasn’t even worth arguing over, and maybe it would give Dipper some excitement in his life that being a pirate didn’t have before. He didn’t like the bloodshed and anything else about doing this job, especially with having to work under Gideon.

Gathering Ghost Eyes, the first mate, and Killbone, Gideon instructed them to listen to whatever Dipper wanted before they set back to the pier. The sun was just starting to set against the ocean line, a bright red one at that. Red skies at night were a sailor's delight, and Dipper just hoped it meant this would go in his favor. He really didn’t need Gideon getting down on him for something so ridiculous as kidnapping a fish.

 

 


	2. Escape

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This fanfiction will update every Friday! Enjoy, and just know that all of your comments and kudos really encourage me to keep going.

“Here you go, little fish.” The short man said with an overly gruff voice as he threw a piece of rotting fish into the tank. The siren stared at it for a moment, watching the piece of fish for a moment before he reached out for it. It was a lot harder to starve oneself than it seemed, and soon he found himself willing to eat as long as it meant he wouldn’t be forced to eat. Being force fed by the bearded lady wasn’t something he wanted to repeat.

“Marcus said you did good today. Didn’t try to bite anyone.” The man glanced back, as though Marcus the ringleader would show up and reprimand him for talking to the siren. “Tomorrow we’re gonna have a treat, but Marcus says you can’t have any. If you’re good I’ll sneak you some though.”

The siren didn't eat the fish offered to him, and instead he simply splashed some of the water out of the tank to get the man wet. The man chuckled and jumped back, as the siren let out a small laugh that looked like nothing more than a couple bubbles just floating to the surface.

“Eat your fish, I'll see ya tomorrow.” The man said before he disappeared.

The siren watched for a moment before he floated to the surface, lifting his hand and throwing the rotting fish as far away as he could. It landed with a thunk on the railing of the pier, before it slipped off and landed in the water. The siren sighed for a moment, glancing around to make sure that no one else saw that before he slipped back under the surface of the water. Another day, another night, trapped in the bowl like a fish.

* * *

 Dipper walked through the people heading home for the night, the only thing suspicious about him was the two burly men following behind a step after him. Dipper wasn’t looking forward to seeing the siren again, remembering how the fish had just looked lifeless against the bottom of the tank.

What must it be like to go from the wide ocean to a small and confined tank? Dipper didn’t want to think about it, more so because he didn’t want to think about what it would be like to be confined. He didn’t have to think about it too much, as they were standing on the edge of the pier. Dipper glanced around for a moment, before he looked back at Killbone and Ghost Eyes.

“Go get a tub or something, we can’t move him unless he’s in water. Gideon would kill us if we accidentally killed him.” Dipper instructed, and the two men nodded before they started off in their search. Dipper called after them to be careful, but he was sure the two of them had served prison sentences, they would more than likely be okay.

There was no gate surrounding the pier, only a waist high fence guarding the abandoned shops that were active during the day. Dipper easily hopped over the fence, well as easily as one could when they hopped over the fence when their foot got caught and they nearly landed on their face. Luckily for Dipper there was no one out to see him, and he easily slipped through the stalls to the freakshow he was at earlier.

He made his way up to the tank, using the light of the moon which was barely peeking over the horizon to see his way. He would occasionally duck down so that he wasn’t seen, but it was easy to avoid it even if he had been walking. Dipper was small enough to move through a crowd unseen, and he always had a way of going unnoticed when he moved through places.

Finally he was at the tank though, and it had a large metal plate over the top of it. He hadn’t accounted for that, but he knew Killbone and Ghost Eyes would be able to move it easily. For a moment he wondered why it would be there, until he imagined himself being trapped in a tank. There would have to be a lot more to keep Dipper trapped there.

“Hello.” He whispered, thankful that the sides were clear so he could see the siren. Dipper didn’t know if the siren could hear him, and tapped gently on the side of the tank.

The fish was asleep, but that didn’t stop those blue eyes from opening slowly. As soon as the siren saw him, the blonde backed up to the other side of the tank, watching him with wary eyes. Dipper didn’t expect anything else, but he didn’t move from his place next to the tank. He would be wary of strangers too.

“It’s okay, I won’t hurt you.” Dipper reassured the siren, holding his hands up so he could show he wasn’t hiding anything. The siren didn’t come any closer, but didn’t try to back up further. For a moment, Dipper was at a loss for words, before he started to talk. He was always one for making speeches anyways.

“My name’s Dipper, I work on a ship.” He pointed at the shipyard down the docks, almost unable to be seen in the night. “I came to see the show earlier. Can you hear me okay?” Dipper’s heart felt like it was trying to beat out of his chest. He did nothing to show though, just tapped his fingers on his knee.

After a long moment of just sitting in silence and hearing nothing but the waves, Dipper saw the golden haired siren nod. Dipper breathed a sigh of relief, and looked over at the golden tail for a moment before he looked back at the siren’s blue eyes.

“I won’t hurt you. I came to see you because my boss wanted me to, and I’m here now to make an offer. I don’t think it would be nice to lay in this tank all day.” Dipper reached up and placed his hand flat against the glass as though that would prove his point. “I saw what you did to your neck, did that hurt?”

The siren reached up, tracing the dark scar that laid across his pale neck. For a moment, Dipper didn’t really expect a response to his question, and tried to think of something else to say instead. Then the siren nodded, hand still on his neck defensively like he thought Dipper would be able to jump through and do more damage to him.

“That’s a terrible thing to do to someone.” Dipper muttered. “I can’t imagine what that was like, do you know sign language?” Reaching up, he made a couple signs he had learned from when he was younger and bored, going through a couple of his uncle’s books. The siren didn’t respond to the motions, and Dipper’s hands fell back in his lap.

“I can take you away from this place, and you won’t ever have to be put on show again.” Dipper didn’t know what Gideon had planned for the siren, but he doubted it would be anything like this. “You can come with me, and I can make sure that you aren’t hurt again. This.” He paused to gesture at his own neck. “Won’t ever happen again.”

The siren rubbed at his neck, as finally Dipper heard the hurried whispers of Killbone and Ghost Eyes approach them. Dipper glanced back over his shoulder, looking at the two men who were carrying a large tub of water between them. Dipper stood, looking back at the siren who had moved closer to the edge where Dipper had been sitting.

Dipper explained that the top needed to be broken off, and the two pirates immediately set to work on it. The siren was more interested in how he seemed to be given a choice than actually leaving, and he watched as the two men managed to get the top of his tank off with a loud crack. The siren glanced back at the ringmaster’s tent, but no one seemed to hear it yet.

“Listen, we can get you away from here, we can make you safe. Come with me.” Dipper said as the siren slowly moved up, water dripping from his chin as he looked at Dipper. “Don’t you want to get away from the people who have hurt you so much?”

Dipper reached out a hand, looking at the other places around them as the lights started to come on once more. Dipper didn’t have time for this, and was about to tell Killbone and Ghost Eyes just to grab the siren and throw him in the tank, but then the siren reached out, taking Dipper’s hand and staring at the other expectantly.

A firm nod from the brunette, and with the help of Killbone and Ghost Eyes, they got Bill out of the tank and into the tub of water. They scurried from the pier and towards the ship, just as the ringmaster started screaming about his missing attraction, a certain siren who had tried to escape before but had never succeeded. The siren hoped he would never have to go back.


	3. You Never Listen

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A day late. I hope you can forgive me. You see a dear friend of mine passed away on the twenty first, the only victim in a fatal car crash. In the time of mourning his death, writing has been really hard for me. If you have the time, I would greatly appreciate it if you could go to his gofundme page, and help his family pay for the funeral expenses. It's on gofundme.com/8kg4wjh8 
> 
> Anything helps, even a dollar.

Chapter 3

Water splashed out of the small tub as they raced across the deck. The siren held on tightly to the edges, but that couldn't really help him when the three of them were running so fast. Dipper ushered the two in front of them, determined to bring up the rear. The siren wouldn't really be safe on Gideon’s ship, but he would be better than on this pier. By the time they were heading down to the dock where the ship was anchored, everyone from the freak show was a panicked mess. Marcus was a shouting mess, not understanding where the best act could have gone without help from someone. 

The siren did have a lot of help, as he knew he wouldn't have been able to get away without Dipper and the help of the two men. The men ran as fast as they could, finally scrambling on the boat as the people from the pier started to search the water. Maybe someone had a heart and helped the siren escape into the water. 

“Captain! We got him!” Killbone shouted down, and woke up most of the crew as he did so. Dipper had his hands on his knees, doubled over as he tried to catch his breath. 

Not even a couple seconds later, Gideon was racing up from below deck, and getting way too close to the siren for the blondes liking. 

“Excellent. House anchor! We need to get ready to leave at dawn. It'll be suspicious if we leave right now.” Gideon reached out, touching the siren's tail despite how the other shied away from his touch. “Take him down to my room, put him out of sight.”

Dipper wasn't paying attention, or more so that he was deliberately averting his eyes from what was happening. Gideon was a greedy man, and when he realized that the siren couldn't do much with no musical voice, the siren wouldn't be kept around for very long. Dipper liked to believe that he had done something good by taking the siren away from being a freak show on a pier, but at kind of life would the siren now be subjected to? Dipper wanted no part of it. 

Taken below deck, the siren did nothing as he was put in a corner and away from sight. Even then he was suddenly shoved below the water line and something was placed over the top of the tub, he did nothing. The rocking of the ship slowly moved the water from side to side, and he did nothing more than roll on his side as he took up as little space as possible in the tub. Hopefully someone would come and get him soon, water only contained so much air.

By the time he felt he was running out of air, he finally banged weakly on the lid of the container he was in. It didn’t move, but the noise seemed to rouse something, and finally the lid was taken away. The siren shot to the surface, coughing and sputtering for air. 

“Almost forgot about you down there.” Gideon laughed a little, a weird light chuckle that was 

obviously meant to be more adorable, but on the fat man it just sounded wrong. “Look at that, it seems I’ve bagged a little fish.”

The siren instantly decided he didn’t like this man. Gideon grabbed the edge of the tub, moving it over and bringing it to the middle of the room. Gideon seemed to be expecting something from him, and brought a large chair for himself to sit in right by the tank the siren was in.

“Sing.” Gideon demanded, having not listened to one word that Dipper told him. He heard siren, and much like his father and Dipper’s great uncle, he wanted to see what his new cash making machine could get him. 

The siren only shrugged, unable to do anything else. He couldn't sing. Tilting his head back, he gestured to the mark on his throat, and felt along the rough bits of skin where it had to be sewn back together. The pain he remembered clearly, even if he was starting to forget what his voice sounded like. 

“What's wrong, you deaf? Sing for me.” The siren was sure that even if he did have his voice, he would have kept silent simply for spite. Then again if he did have his voice he wouldn't be here anymore. Whether it be free and swimming, or dead and floating belly up.

“That’s it. Dipper! Boy!” Gideon suddenly rose, walking away from the siren but not without smacking the siren upside the head. The blonde was so used to it by now he didn’t even react.

“What?” The voice snapped, and the siren visibly perked up from the sound of it. Dipper had been nice to him, and he would like to see the brown haired male once more. 

“What did you do to him? He won’t sing!” Gideon backed up as Dipper came back in the room, pinching the bridge of his nose. Both of them looked tired beyond belief, and the siren glanced between the two of them.

“He doesn’t sing, he had his vocal cords torn out! I told you this.” Dipper waved a hand around, not looking down at the siren. The siren himself wasn’t really paying attention to the two of them, instead reaching out of his small tub to look for something to write with. These humans, at least Dipper, seemed smart, he might be able to read his native language.

“You bought me a broken fish.” Gideon snapped, even making the siren pause for a moment as he grabbed something to write on the wood of the ship. Dipper winced, but kept going.

“No, I told you about this.” The brunette sighed, turning his back to the siren and heading out of the room once more. “Don’t bother me again about this. I want nothing to do with it.”

A frustrated groan left Gideon’s lips as he turned back to the siren. As soon as the pirate saw what the siren was doing he raced forward, taking the small object, not even looking at the marks the siren made on the floor. 

“Absolutely useless.” Gideon muttered, tossing the makeshift writing utensil to the other side of the room. If he had glanced down for a moment, he would have seen the marks that the siren had made, and while he wouldn’t have understood what they meant, he still would have seen them. 

To the siren though, they meant everything. They were a life outside this place, they showed there was more to him than golden scales that did nothing and a voice that no longer existed. Sirens believed in the power of names, and he just scrawled his own in his native tongue. 

_ Bill Cipher. _

Though that name didn’t matter when he was a prisoner, when he was an act that was a display for tourists. He was so much more than what they thought, he capable of so much more, but no one had ever bothered to look or see. At least being on this ship was better than being locked away on the pier. Then again, same prison, different bars.

“Ghost Eyes!” Gideon shouted loudly, making Bill wince and lean back from him. “What in God’s name am I gonna do with a giant fish? Can’t cook him for dinner.”

As Gideon ranted to himself, Ghost Eyes eventually came down to the room, giving the golden siren a small, awkward wave before Gideon got all of his attention. Gideon muttered more to himself than anything else, completely ignoring everyone else in the room.

“What’s wrong?” Ghost Eyes eventually asked, glancing at Bill as though this would be his fault. The siren didn’t move or do anything to show he knew what they were talking about.

“Him! It! I don’t know, that thing!” Gideon’s face was starting to turn a horrible shade of red as he ranted to himself. “I was supposed to get a siren who could sing! Not this mute idiot.”

A loud crash was heard as Gideon slammed down a decorative item from his desk. Ghost Eyes looked over at the object, crossing his arms like a concerned parent.

“Gideon, you need to think about this.” Ghost Eyes was every bit a parent. “What are you going to do?”

The words finally seemed to sink in for the fat little man, who panted as he sat down before his desk. They didn’t seem to need words, and finally Gideon broke out in a large grin. Gideon glanced over at Bill, not saying anything for a moment, before he gestured at Ghost Eyes to come near him.

“Dipper seems to get along great with him. Get Killbone and move him to Dipper’s room, don’t tell him. I want that weakling to see how he deals with caring for the fish.”

Ghost Eyes didn’t see any problems, and Bill couldn’t complain one bit as his tub was dragged from the side of the room. It dragged over the marks he made in the floor, making them disappear, and then it dragged out of the room as well. Bill couldn’t even think as he was moved from the room, and into a much smaller room a couple floors down, even then he couldn’t do anything. He waited in the water, not falling below the waterline, but staring up at the ceiling. Time was on his side here, and he had all the time in the world.


	4. Salmon

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this is a week late! I was a convention last week. It was a lot of fun!

Dipper was not really built for being out on a ship deck. It had taken him weeks to get used to the constant rocking motion so he wouldn’t fall on his side with every step. It had taken even longer for his hands to build callouses and for him to get used to the smell of the other pirates and the salt in the air. He had been looking forward to getting on the ship and being able to see the world, despite knowing he was going to be working with gutted fish. He wanted the little bit of adventure that came along with traveling. 

“Put her hard to port!” Gideon was more often below deck in his cabin more often than not, and while the crew obeyed Gideon without question, it was always Ghost Eyes or some other member of the crew who was giving them orders. The crew, including Dipper, rushed to obey the command, and soon the ship was sailing hard to port.

Dipper tended to work the crow's nest, and he treasured that position. He could sit up there and read and no one ever cared, as long as he made sure to spot rival ships. Though no one ever looked twice at the fishing barge that was really a pirate ship. Gideon had taken extra care to make sure no one would be able to tell what the true purpose of his ship, even on the side of the ships where the cannons poked through were completely disguised, only to be opened from the inside.

“Pines!” Someone screamed, making Dipper’s head snap up. None of the crew really liked him, especially with how he and Gideon didn’t get along, but at least they gave him some sort of respect. A lot of them didn’t think it was fair how Gideon tricked him into coming on board with their crew, but none ever dared to say that.

He wasn’t in his crow’s nest this time, but instead helping out on deck to make sure things went smoothly. Random knowledge coming in handy once more, he was the only know who really knew how to expertly tie knots so that they would stay closed. At the very least, the pirate crew was more than willing to learn, even if they were a fierce bunch. They all insisted that Dipper keep the finger painting sessions and friendship bracelets a secret. 

“What?” He called, not pausing as he called back. This rope required all of his attention anyways.

“Captain’s got a new job for ya! Go down to your cabin!” Dipper didn’t even know who was talking to him, nor did he care as he finally finished up the knot. He really had no idea what a new task Gideon had for him, he just hoped he wasn’t going to find out there was a brand new task for him to do. It was going to be something absolutely ridiculous, he could already tell.

“Fine, fine.” He mumbled, shaking his head for a moment before he headed downstairs. He was doing too much for this crew that he didn’t even care about, all that mattered was a paycheck. The only reason he had his own room was because he blackmailed Gideon into this. The only good thing about being here was that he could blackmail Gideon with telling Mabel about everything.

When he entered his room, he didn’t see anything off at first. There was still the stack of his favorite books in the corner, there was still the ink well that was about to run dry, there was still his hammock in the corner that he slept in. Then he stepped inside, shutting the door behind him, and saw the tub tucked into the corner. It wasn’t even really the tub that caught his attention, but the golden tail that was hanging out of the edge of it. 

“Oh, great.” Dipper muttered, quickly realizing what was happening. Apparently he was now going to be in charge of taking care of the siren. Said siren was managing to sleep with his head above the water line, with his arms on the edge of the metal tub and his head resting on them. Dipper had hardly taken two steps in before the siren woke up, looking over at him with sleepy blue eyes.

“You smell like salmon.” Dipper crossed his arms, going over to the siren. The golden tail shrank back from him even though he had no intentions of touching it. The siren really did smell like salmon to him, though it just might be because the golden siren was forced in such a small area. 

As though replying, a second later the tail snapped in the water, and Dipper’s legs were coated in the water from the tub. Dipper hardly had time to react, instead just looking down at his now soaked legs. He had been through worse, but it was still an inconvenience.

“Now I smell like salmon.” Running a hand through his brown hair, he ignored the siren for a moment as he considered changing his clothes. They would be sharing the room, it seemed, but he still couldn’t bring himself to change in front of someone else. 

“Great, this is just great. Go get the siren, Dipper, I don’t care he can’t sing, Dipper, We’ll find something to do with him, Dipper.” The brunette drug his hand down his face once more, a habit he couldn’t remember picking up but now seems consistent. 

“Look, I don’t know what to do with you, and I don’t know how to take care of a siren!” Dipper sighed. “Seriously, Gideon?”

During his time of ranting, the siren had rolled over, turning his back to him. It was easy to forget that Bill could understand him, and was more that just a fish with bright golden scales. Then again, Dipper could easily forget, with how the siren was always quiet. 

“Guess we’ll figure it out.” Dipper said to himself, looking down at the siren, a bit of surprise on his face that the siren was now turned away from him. 

It seemed as though he had turned his new roommate against him, and with just a few short words. Dipper had never been good with making friends, and before he opened his eyes the siren had actually seemed to like him. He didn’t know how to fix a situation like this though, when all he could do was look at the siren and have no way to actually be able to talk to him.

“I’ll be back.” He muttered, shoving his hands in the pockets of his pants. He had brought the siren to the ship last night, and now it was almost sunset the next day. Dipper didn't know if Gideon had fed the golden siren, but he wasn't willing to take that risk, especially since Gideon wouldn't hesitate to use that against him later. 

Sneaking into the kitchen, he had to duck to avoid the cook and snag some fish. There was no reason why Bill would be a vegetarian, he just hoped the slice of raw fish would do. Dipper was going to have to take notes on the siren, his great uncle would never forgive him for letting this opportunity pass him by. At the very least he could come home with new information for him. 

Finally coming back, his clothes had dried against him but he still had the unmistakeable smell of fish to himself as he went back to the room. The siren seemed to be asleep, in the same position as before, and Dipper didn't know what to do. Would it be mean to wake the siren up? He had already done that once. 

Bill was completely content with ignoring Dipper’s presence, offended that he thought the brunette would actually care. Yet with just a couple of sentences, Dipper managed to make him feel just like he had on the pier. A burden. He had never been asked to be taken out of the water, but here he was, and stuck outside the ocean he wanted to be a part of. Now he was on another ship, having not eaten for almost three days, but not even minding the stomach pain. He was used to them by now. 

“Hey, look, I’m sorry about what I said, okay?” Dipper eventually said. Bill glanced over his shoulder for a moment. “I brought you some fish, I don't know if Gideon fed you or not.”

The sirens shoulders tensed, not because of how close Dipper was, but because of what he said. Even when the brunette was trying to be nice, he still managed to talk down to him. He was still a pet, still something trapped and kept for the amusement of others. 

Still staring at the wall, Bill heard the sigh from the other. It wouldn't be the first time he had intentionally starved himself, and it didn't seem like it would be the last either. His stomach didn't even send him hunger pains, used to going days without eating. Something scooted along the floor, and there was another sigh. Bill waited until the silence reigned over them for a little bit before he glanced over his shoulder again, seeing the brunette laying in his hammock and the piece of fish laying on a chair that had been pulled up next to his bath. He didn't reach for it. 

“You better eat that before it goes bad. If Catfish finds out I stole from the kitchen I won't be eating for a few days, which means you won't be eating either.” Dipper didn't look away from the ceiling, figuring there wasn't much work that would come with taking care of an oversized fish. 

Bill toppled the chair over, sending the fish to the ground. A couple days without food? He had gone through worse. If he was a burden, he was going to go out of his way to make sure he was the worst burden Dipper ever had. 


	5. Fresh Air

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, almost 150 kudos! I love you guys!

It wasn't until almost noon the next day that Dipper opened the window and threw out the piece of fish that was starting to rot. Bill hadn't moved much in his tank, but he turned his head as he heard the window open. At least he could hear the water for a moment before Dipper closed the window. The sudden inhale of pure sea air made Bill breathe deeply, but before he could truly get a whiff the window was closed and he had to deal with the stifling air once more. 

Dipper didn't seem to notice, then again he wouldn't notice since he had never been denied such a thing as fresh air. Bill didn't know Dipper had been denied freedom as much as he had, but even then Bill didn't think it would have mattered. He had more freedom than Bill ever had. 

“I can't believe Gideon, actually yeah I can.” Dipper seemed to mutter that phrase to himself a thousand times, and Bill managed to tune him out. 

The siren tuned him out the same way that he tuned out the visitors of the pier. He was already far away, swimming back among the fish and the seaweed just as he would when he was free, and not trapped in a tub and ogled at every chance. Bill could just barely feel the brush of it against his fingers, could feel the salt in his lungs and the flow of the currents. 

It was all ruined a moment later when he felt a brush of something against him that couldn't possibly be seaweed, and Bill jerked back into the real world. It wasn't Dipper touching him, but somehow in his time of not paying attention and zoning out, Gideon had entered the room. The albino was leaning down, touching the golden tail without permission and practically leering over Bill. 

The siren hissed, shrinking back, but there was nowhere to really go. Dipper was still laying on his hammock, brow furrowed as he stared at the ceiling and didn't make a move to get up. The brunette seemed to be sticking to his original rule, and besides taking care of the siren, he had no intention of helping him. That as well, he wouldn't be even taking care of Bill if Gideon hadn’t forced that on him. 

“Don't hiss at me.” Gideon snapped, hand reaching out for a moment and Bill flinched back like he was going to be slapped, but all that happened was a meaty hand grabbed his jaw and squeezed. 

“I heard that if you get a scale, and eat it somehow, it grants youth.” Gideon, while irritated the siren couldn't sing, was determined to find a use for him. 

“What do you say? Is that true?” Bill couldn't even shake his head, Gideon had such a tight grip on it. Gideon sneered, that pig nose turning up a little bit more. 

“I'm not hearing a no.”

Bill glared, reaching up and clutching the wrist of the fat man. He hated the way he was being taunted, knowing he couldn't speak and it had been all the humans fault. Bill berated himself for thinking Dipper would be different. 

A few kind words, a human treating him like he was more than a pet, and Bill was ready to forgive and forget. He had been forced into this life, and he could never forget that. Nothing would ever make up for the scars that littered his skin, the way he had bare patches on his tail with no scales. 

“I'll be back later.” Suddenly he was let go, and Bill slumped back against the edge of the tub and breathed deeply through his mouth. He didn't like the idea of losing anymore scales, but he didn't think there was anything he could do about that. 

Setting his arms over the edge of the tub, he watched as Gideon left the room and slammed the door behind him. Dipper was still more than ignoring him, so his hands went down to the floor to start tracing patterns. He wanted his voice back, he wanted more than he had in life. He should have died when they tore out his vocal cords, he wished he had. 

He could still feel the burning pain, the hands holding him down and the first prick of the knife against his throat, and they were all ignoring his screams and he couldn't even form a song he was so scared and-

Dipper rose, and Bill watched him with tired blue eyes. He missed the water, he couldn't slip underneath the water he had, and he just wanted to sleep and never wake up. His stomach was starting to cramp, but he ignored it as he drew small images on the floor with his nail. His favorite was the fish, but he hid it from sight when Dipper just walked out. 

He was never allowed privacy. Bill always had someone by, someone gawking at him, or guarding him. Even at night on the pier, he was close enough to others that he couldn't do anything without being caught. At least on the pier everyone hated Marcus as much as he did, so he never had to worry about being caught unless he tried to escape. No one else wanted to face the wrath of Marcus if his best act tried to escape. Again. 

Yet now he was alone. For the first time since he had taken of the water, he was alone. He didn't know what to do. What did humans do while they were alone? He had no idea. Dipper didn't say if he was coming back, and Bill didn't want to waste any of this new time alone. There was one thing he wanted to do. One thing he had dreamed of doing, but he knew it was impossible. At least alone he could try. 

Opening his mouth, a couple wheezing noises escaped his throat. God, it hurt so much just to make that. He couldn't do anything but that, despite how he tried so hard, and horrible tears formed in his eyes. Sirens weren't meant to cry, it felt unnatural, but he couldn't stop them from forming. If his brothers and sisters could see him, he would be exiled. Was it better to suffer on land and be forced to live, or to go back home and be an outcast?

Footsteps came from the hall, and Bill’s jaw snapped closed as his hands went to wipe away the tears frantically. He wouldn't show weakness to these humans, not ones that didn't care and only wanted to use him. 

It turned out to only be Dipper, but by the time that the brunette was in the room, Bill was already in his old position, fingers tracing the floor as though he never moved. If Dipper thought anything was off, he didn't say anything, or show that at all. 

“I got you something to eat.” Dipper mumbled, setting the chair up and putting the food on it. It was only a couple pieces of raw fish, but Bill couldn't take his eyes off it. He was hungrier than he thought, but still he refused to reach out and take it. It wasn't so much that he wanted to be stubborn, but he was so conditioned for responses, and he hadn't been given permission just yet. 

“Please, eat.” Bill wanted to be stubborn so badly, but as much as he wanted to eat, he wanted to be stubborn. “Gideon’s too much of a jerk to think you need to eat, and he'll kill me if you die of starvation.”

That shouldn't work, he shouldn't be giving in. Yet his fingers were already reaching for the piece of fish, and why were his nails so brittle and broken? Where were his claws and his sharp teeth? What happened to him that he couldn't even fight against Dipper and starve himself for longer?

He had been through too much. He had died the moment they took his voice and took the essence that was a siren. Nails scraped against the wood as he eagerly grabbed the fish, devouring it in a flash of teeth and nails that could hardly be seen. Dipper stepped back as though he feared those teeth would be used on him, but then settled into his hammock without another word. Bill couldn't help but lick his fingers clean, wanting to make sure he got every bit he could. 

“Go to sleep, siren, maybe tomorrow will be better.” Dipper mumbled, picking up one of the books that he had near his hammock and starting to read. Bill stared, wishing he could have something to occupy himself, and fell asleep more out of boredom than anything else. 


	6. Storm

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short chapter, it contains some important parts though. I feel terrible this chapter is so short, but I couldn't find a way to make it longer without dragging on. Anyways, see you next week!
> 
> Gorgeous fanart of my work:  
> [Here.](https://www.wattpad.com/208498825-shout-outs-calamari)

He woke because the sound of waves against the boat, making it creak in ways he wouldn't have thought possible. Water splashed out of his tub and landed on the planks, but all Bill could do was hold on to the edges and listen to the sounds of the storm raging. It was louder than when he would be on the pier, and he had no idea how close he was to the heart of the ocean, but by how fierce the storm was, they must have been close. 

He could almost taste the saltwater once more, making his mouth dry for the taste of it. Bill looked over at the hammock that didn't house Dipper, finding he was alone in the room. Another time he was alone, and now he couldn't practice writing or speaking as his thoughts were on staying in his tub. If it was knocked over, he wouldn't be able to get back in, and he had no desire to dry out. As much as he loathed life, he still wanted to live. All for the hope that he would be free again. 

It was never going to happen, at least he could admit that. Yet it was that small glimmer of hope that let him go through the day. It was what kept him through every moment of being abused, of hurting and pain and knowing that no one cared one bit about him. Yet nothing happened as he looked over at the desk, and for a moment the ship stilled as though the water outside calmed.

Yet then a moment later his tub was sliding across the floor and crashing against the wall. The desk fell over with a crash, and a couple of the books fell from the top and landed haphazardly. One splashed in his lap, and Bill quickly threw it out of his lap before it got too wet. Hopefully Dipper wouldn’t hurt him if the book was ruined. The brunette had yet to raise a hand to him, but Bill was prepared for that to change at any moment. Humans weren’t to be trusted, and Dipper was no better when he did nothing to help when Bill was being abused by the crew.

The ship rocked back and forth, and he could just barely hear the shouts of the crew as his tub was suddenly rocked back against the wall, right underneath the window. Dipper hadn’t set any rules, not actually talking to the siren. It seemed the brunette just wanted to ignore him, and Bill was more than okay with that.

Dull and cracked nails gripped onto the edge of the window, but Bill was too weak to look up and see through it. He could hear the wind pounding against the glass, he could hear the call of the sea and he yearned to go back. 

_ “I’m here!”  _ He wanted to scream.  _ “I’m here! Sink this ship and let me come home!” _

The storm raged on, and all the golden siren could do was press his hands against the glass and beg in his mind to go back, for the ship to sink and everything to go back to normal before this ordeal started. 

_ “Please, I want to come home.”  _ He begged silently for no one to hear. “ _ Sink this ship, bring me home, I'm so tired.” _

Opening his mouth, his throat felt like it was on fire as he let out a sorrowful and pitiful whine. It could hardly be heard over the sound of the waves beating against the wood of the ship, but it was there, and it was more noise than he ever hoped to make again. He could taste blood. 

He was familiar with nightmares, and his life now was worse than any nightmare he ever had.

* * *

Dipper winced as he was thrown against the railing of the ship, his tight grip on a rope the only thing keeping him from flying over the edge of the ship. Gideon, for once, was at the helm of his ship, trying to bark out orders but his voice would be taken away by the wind before it could reach his crew. His hands burned on the rope, slicing open on a part of it but he still held firm. Wounds could be taken care of after the storm was done.

The wind howled and ripped right through his core, and he had a moment to spare where he wondered if the siren’s tank had fallen over, but that passed as he was thrown on the deck once more. For a moment, all he could hear was the rush of water before a large body stopped him from sliding right into the water. He didn’t get to see who it was, but Dipper thanked them breathlessly. 

“Hoist the sails!” He tried to shout, but nothing happened for a moment as he looked around. The sails needed to come up, before they either ripped or caused them to capsize. 

Yet others seemed to have the same message, working together to haul rope and get the sails out of the way. The moment they were halfway up, the ship stopped trying to rock so frantically, but it was still not easy to go about keeping the boat afloat.

His hands were dripping with blood from the rope burns and the seawater only served to make it worse. Still he climbed up, helping the sails and holding tightly to the nets as they rocked dangerously back and forth from the waves. Dipper’s hands were going to be scarred after this, but he had more than enough scars to where two more wouldn’t make a difference.

“Wave!” Dipper had just let go of the net when he heard the shout, somehow the whisper just barely managing to get to his ears, and before he knew it he was being torn away from the ship, submerged in water, and unable to breathe. Darkness was better anyways.

* * *

The ship was still swaying dangerously when the door slammed open. Bill turned, expecting to see Dipper there but instead was greeted with the bulking form of a pirate he had never seen before. The man dripped on the floor, but otherwise didn't say anything as he walked in. Bill shrank back, fearing the man would take the opportunity to be rid of the siren.

Yet the man's target wasn't Bill. It was the hammock, where he placed a nearly dead Dipper Pines. Bill held tight to the edge of the metal tub, feeling his cracked nails bend instead of breaking. They couldn’t dig into metal like they did in the wood of the windowsill.

“Don’t touch him.” The pirate snapped, even though Bill hadn’t even been reaching out for the other. Bill slipped back into the tub, wishing the water was changed so he could slip underneath it and escape this. Couldn’t this ship sink already?

The pirate turned on his heel, leaving Dipper alone with the siren. Bill didn’t move for a long moment, as though afraid the pirate would come back, but nothing happened. His tub had moved enough to where he could reach out and touch the human if he wanted, but he still didn’t.

In fact, the only movement he made was when he noticed the human shivering, and then he didn’t do anything for a moment, but then he reached, pulling the blanket from the floor and draping it over the human. 


	7. Lessons

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Amazing fanart of my work!
> 
> [A wonderful one shot inspired by Calamari by icantevenfindanurl on tumblr](http://icantevenfindanurl.tumblr.com/post/137898888179)
> 
> [A simply amazing drawing by icantevenfindanurl on tumblr](http://icantevenfindanurl.tumblr.com/post/137873787409/he-had-heard-the-way-the-humans-described-him)

It was well after the storm that Dipper woke up, in a cold bed and a slight fever on his skin from sleeping in wet clothes. His hands were shaking and he couldn't seem to get them to stop, but that was the least of his concerns. He had to get warm, and get out of the wet clothes he seemed trapped in.

He rolled out of bed with a loud thump, groaning as he hit the floorboards. The siren still watched from the tub, and Dipper slowly picked himself up from the floor to where he kept his clothes in a small bag. He waved a hand at the siren to show the fish should turn away, but he didn't bother to make sure that happened as he stripped himself of the wet clothes. Putting on dry clothes instantly helped him warm up, and he sighed in relief as he put on multiple layers.

“Don't splash me.” He muttered, coming close to the siren, but only to make sure that he was picking things up. A couple of his books had gotten wet, but they would dry out. Dipper occasionally glanced at the siren who was watching him impassively, not even moving. In fact, that's what caught Dipper off guard more than anything.

The siren was like a cat, always moving. The tail was always flicking as muscles tried to move out of habit. The hands were always twitching or trying to carve things in the floor. Yet the siren now just laid limp in the tub, and Dipper was sad to say it took him longer than normal to figure out why. He shook his head, as though his vision was just blurry and needed to be fixed. When it cleared, the siren was still lying limp, and didn’t move even as Dipper came forward.

“Um, Mister Fish?” He asked, unsure what to call the siren. “Are you okay?”

His lungs hurt, but he still finally got close enough to the siren to look down at the other. The siren’s breathing was shallow but there, and Dipper figured out what was going on. The ship’s rough voyage must have gotten the water out of the tank, as there was almost nothing left in the tub. Dipper had heard about mermaids being able to change into human legs, but it must not have been true with sirens, otherwise the siren would have had them already by how dry he was.

Checking to make sure the siren wasn’t bleeding, Dipper didn’t even relish in the touch before he heard the strange heartbeat of the other. It was a bit erratic, not like any human heartbeat, but it was still there. Dipper breathed a sigh of relief, not realizing he had been worried until that reassurance was there. He told himself it was because he knew Gideon would have his head if something happened to the siren, and nothing more.

Turning around, he didn’t notice how the siren was stirring and starting to wake up. Two hours later and a couple of buckets full of water later, the siren had a fresh tub of water and seemed to be sleeping peacefully. Dipper didn’t remember falling over the edge of the boat, but when he had climbed up to go and hitch the mast, he had been hit by the wave and thrown off the boat. He was told that was what happened though, and how they left Dipper in his room with the siren.

“Are you feeling better?” He asked the siren, who had more life in him and finally seemed to actually respond to him. After a moment, the siren nodded.

“That’s good.” Dipper sighed, sitting on the edge of his hammock. “We’re going to get to port tomorrow, um, do you want me to get you anything?”

Dipper had never realized how awkward it was to have a one sided conversation until he was trying to have a conversation with someone who didn’t talk. The siren arched a brow, laying his head on the side of the tub, and making waves in his small tub.

Dipper flushed a little bit with embarrassment when he realized he wasn’t going to be getting an answer. He stared for a moment, rubbing a hand over his face as he considered just dropping the topic and letting them sit in silence once more.

Yet suddenly, the siren made a movement, bringing his hand up to his lips and tapping there. Dipper stared confused for a moment as he realized what the siren meant. How could he be so stupid?

“Oh, oh, you're hungry.” He nodded more to himself than to the siren. “I'll get you something. You better eat it this time.”

The siren flicked his tail at the threat, but didn't do anything else other than slip underneath the water. It was suffocating, as he had already spent plenty of time underneath the water, and as such drained the oxygen out of it, but he didn't mind. Bill came up for air a couple seconds later.

The door suddenly slammed open, in a manner completely unlike Dipper. Bill’s gaze snapped towards the door, only to see Gideon there. Internally he groaned, but did nothing more than flick his tail a little to show that he saw the other.

“There he is.” Gideon smirked, as though Bill would have been anywhere else other than in the tub. Bill didn’t do anything though, and shrank back as much as he could as Gideon stalked forward.

“Can’t have ya staying around here for free, can I?” Gideon grabbed the chair that Dipper had been using as a small table for Bill. It creaked in protest as Gideon sat down on it, but the fat man ignored it, rubbing his hands together.

“Now, here's what we're gonna do.” Gideon leaned forward, placing his hands on his knees as he inspected Bill. “From now on, I'm gonna tell ya what I want, and you're gonna give it to me. None of that hissing, no trying t’ bite me. Understand?”

How was it Gideon managed to look so large just by sitting. Bill felt small, but he wasn't about to let that intimidate him. He had been through hell already, nothing Gideon threw at him would be any worse than what he had already been through. Pulling back his lips, he hissed, showing off a set of razor sharp teeth.

“Thought ya might say that.” Gideon cracked his knuckles. “Let's get started.”

* * *

 Dipper didn't have as easy of a time stealing food as he did last time. He was always clumsy, managing to trip over his own feet more than anything else. He didn't so much as trip into the kitchen as he came crashing in, as he tripped on his own shoelaces. He should really tie those. Dipper could almost hear Mabel saying ‘I told you so.’

Though since he came stumbling into the kitchen, he was immediately put on dish duty. Dipper was never really one to question what he was doing, for tasks and all that, but apparently the crew didn't think that taking care of the newest resident wasn't good enough of a job.

“When you're gone and done with that, you can go out and eat. Think some of the guys are having a finger painting session.” The cook, Catfish, spoke. Dipper had to bite his tongue not to laugh at the notion of the large men finger painting. As intimidating as they were, they were really big softies. They just had a bad leader.

“Alright.” He ended up saying, making work of the mountain of dishes. At least the others were considerate to put silverware in one area and plates in another. “Can I get some extra? For the siren. He hasn't eaten since we brought him on board.”

“Yeah, yeah. We get to port tomorrow. I'll get more fish.” Was all Catfish said on the topic.

Dipper no longer really paid attention to what was going on around him, concentrating on finishing the dishes as quickly as possible so that he could get food. His own hunger was starting to get to him, reminding him of how little he ate when the siren came aboard. Dipper hardly had a moment to himself anymore, not that being on a cramped ship did much to help that, but he had even less time since he started taking care of the siren. At least the fish hadn't tried to kill him yet. Dipper might have been small, but he could hold his own on a fight.

After what seemed like an endless amount of dishes later, Dipper was finally done with the chore. Taking two trays of food with him, one that had more of a variety and the other one having only fish, he traveled back to his room. He still kept thinking of it as his room, but with a guest. Gideon didn't really plan to keep the siren, did he?

He arrived just in time to see said captain leaving his room. Dipper narrowed his eyes, wondering if Gideon was invading his privacy again and searching for something. The last time Dipper had caught Gideon doing such a thing, the captain had been searching for something to remind him of Mabel. Dipper had never been happier he kept those things hidden in books. Gideon had yet to think to look in there.

“Everything okay?” He asked just as Gideon started down the hall without a glance at Dipper. Even then, the white haired male didn’t answer, instead choosing to ignore Dipper.

Dipper shrugged for a moment, going to his room with curiosity still on his mind. Managing to open the door with his elbow, he hoped he hadn’t made the siren wait too long. Somehow managing not to trip over his two feet, he looked quite proud as he walked in and placed the trays of food on the desk.

“I hope you’re still hungry. What was Gideon here for anyways?” Dipper asked, but kept talking as he no longer expected a response. “I got you a lot of fish, we’ll be at port tomorrow, so Catfish didn’t mind giving me a lot…”

His words died down as he finally turned to face the golden siren, and his jaw dropped a little as he looked at the sight the other offered. The siren’s face was bloody, with the red liquid leaking from his nose and corners of his mouth. The golden tail, while it had bald patches before, now seemed completely bare of scales. Dipper slowly walked forward, noting how the water was tinted red.

“Are… Are you okay?” Dipper didn’t reach out for the siren, but he did kneel by the tub. The siren didn’t even flinch away, he didn’t even seem there.

“Okay, I’m going to patch you up, and then you can eat.” Dipper ended up whispering, completely shaken. What had happened while he was gone? What did Gideon do?

The siren didn’t flinch away as Dipper got a piece of cloth and gently pressed it against the blonde’s nose. Surprisingly, the siren just seemed to have given up. Dipper looked at the swollen jaw, wondering if a couple teeth had been knocked out. Gideon did a number, and Dipper was pissed about it.

“Eat, you need to eat.” The brunette mumbled after a moment. Once the siren was cleaned up as Dipper could manage. He would have to change out the water so that the other wouldn’t be forced to lay in dirty blood water.

“Just eat, and get some sleep.” Dipper bit the inside of his cheek, watching as the siren fell asleep instead of eating. He bit down roughly on his lip, shaking his head. Gideon was going to get an earful.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Huehuehuehuehuehuehuehue


	8. Inner Thoughts

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once more, amazing art.  
> [ican'tevenfindanurl drew more wonderful art on tumblr.](http://icantevenfindanurl.tumblr.com/post/138559466809/the-last-chapter-left-bill-with-even-more-scars)  
>   
> [letmeshipinpeace also did some wonderful fanart!](http://letmeshipinpeace.tumblr.com/post/138598961881/even-with-malnutrition-and-the-lack-of-exercise)

“Gideon Gleeful!” Dipper snapped as he barged into the captain’s room, not even bothering to knock before he entered. What he actually saw made him pause, surprise flittering over his features before he regained his composure and stalked right to the middle of the group.

“Boy I appreciate the concern but we’re in the middle of therapy!” Gideon snapped. It wasn’t the first time that someone had interrupted the group therapy Gideon ran, and it certainly wouldn’t be the last time either. Dipper crossed his arms, giving Ghost Eyes, who had been talking, an apologetic smile.

“Do you want to explain to me why I left the siren alone for ten minutes and I come back to him beaten to a pulp?” Dipper would have been tapping his foot if it hadn’t been for the fact he was irritated as hell. Plus Mabel had called him on it the last time he had done it. She always knew just how to embarrass him.

“I don’t know what you’re talkin’ about.” Gideon kept his voice calm like he was the one in control. Dipper felt another flash of anger rise in him, but everyone was watching them. If he messed this up, Gideon might just throw him overboard.

“I went to get him, the being _you_ put me in charge of by the way, food, and when I came back, you were leaving my room. When I actually went in there, the siren is bloody and looked like he had been in a fight!” Dipper coughed as his voice suddenly went high. He was only thankful that it didn’t crack and shame him further.

“I don’t know what you’re talkin’ about.” Gideon repeated, saying it with a sigh as he finally got up from his chair. “We just had us a pleasant talk.”

“He’s missing a couple teeth! What pleasant conversation ends like that?” When the siren had passed out, Dipper had done some inspecting to make sure that there wasn’t any major damage. Dipper hadn’t seen anything other than a swollen jaw and about three missing teeth.

“Now, why’re you all complainin’? I thought ya didn’t even wan’ ta take care of him.” Gideon’s accent seemed to get even deeper as he talked, coming over to Dipper and ushering him out. Everyone else just seemed to

“I can always bring ‘im back in here, if ya don’t want him.” Dipper glanced down at the hands pressing against his arm, noting the small cuts that decorated Gideon’s hands.

No, he didn’t want to have the siren in his room, or have to take care of him anymore. Yet he didn’t want the blond put in care of Gideon, not when the man had been so cruel. How could someone just beat up another? Dipper didn’t understand it.

“No, that’s okay.” Dipper eventually mumbled, not sure what else to say. “Just… don’t touch him again.”

Gideon didn’t say anything that sounded like a yes or a no, in fact he didn’t say anything. Hands fell away from Dipper as Gideon went back down to his seat, turning his attention back to the group. It was as though Dipper wasn’t even there anymore, he was nothing. Running his hands down his face, he walked out of the room, not seeing Gideon taking a long sip of his tea.

* * *

 They arrived in port right on schedule. After unloading the fish they had to keep up the appearance that it really was a fishing barge, they were all given the rest of the time to do as they pleased. Dipper really hadn’t planned for so much free time. He ran his hands down his face as he looked over at the siren, who didn’t seem to care at all about what he was doing.

“I’m going out for a little while.” Dipper spoke as though the siren was actually caring. “Um, don’t get into trouble, and don’t do anything bad while I’m gone.”

Dipper ran a hand down his face, completely ignoring the glare he got from the siren. It was like he was leaving a pet alone for the day. Now that he had said that, he had no doubt he would come back to his room completely destroyed.

“Splash me, and you’re going to regret it.” Dipper ended up mumbling as he went back  over to the window. He hadn’t thought about it much, but he noticed how the siren seemed to like the window being open.

“If you leave, I hope you know Gideon is going to kill me.” Dipper hoped that would get some idea across the sirens mind. The blond’s jaw was still swollen from the abuse he had gotten from Gideon earlier.

“I’ll be back in a couple hours.” Dipper didn’t know what to do really, it felt awkward. Was he trying to wish this siren goodbye? He had no idea anymore, not really.

He made sure the window wouldn’t open anymore than just the crack it was open, and didn’t look down at the siren as he finally left the room and went on his own. He didn’t glance back as he left the ship, but if he had, Dipper would have seen two blue eyes staring down at him from the window of the ship.

* * *

 He didn’t have a lot of money. Gideon didn’t give Dipper a lot of the shares that he made, especially since Dipper was at the bottom of the totem pole. The more that Gideon liked a person, the more that he tended to give them a share of the profits. Dipper hardly got anything, while Ghost Eyes and Killbone got more than enough.

He had been saving up. Dipper wanted few things in life, but he saved up all the money he had to buy the things that really meant something to him. Frequently, he spent his money on sheets of paper, and ink, all to send letters to his sister and great uncles.

Now, he had no problem spending his money on things like that. He had no problem writing letters to Mabel, and doing exactly as he pleased. Dipper looked down at the small pouch he had, of what little savings he could get. It wasn’t hard to save, actually, when he had a room and food that the ship provided.

With a sigh, he got more paper, enough to last him a while, and paid for more ink as well. Even then, he still had a good amount. Dipper almost didn’t want to give it up, he found himself holding tight to the pouch as he walked up to the only booth that ever mattered to him in town.

It was the only booth that mattered in any town he went to, really. Sometimes it was hard to find, sometimes it wasn’t its own stand, and the wares he sought were tucked into another place almost out of sight. He always managed to find it though, and let himself buy one thing to get him to the next port.

“What can I help you with?” The woman behind the booth asked, flipping through a book of her own. Dipper sighed, keeping a firm hand on his money so no one would try to pickpocket him.

He didn't have to hold onto it for very long, as a moment later he handed it to the shopkeeper. The woman raised a brow, but gestured helplessly to the books before her. Dipper could easily buy every book there, even though the brunet was only interested in one kind of book.

“I need every book you have on sign language and sirens.”

* * *

 Bill slept a lot. He slept a lot more than any other siren he had known. Not only did he seem to actually need more sleep than the average siren, he also enjoyed the dreams that came with it. As of late, they had become an escape for what he had to deal with, a way to get out of the reality he was forced in.

His jaw still ached, his tail ached, and his back was starting to get a permanent crick in it from being trapped in the same position in the tub. It wasn't as though he could complain though.

His hand slowly trailed up from the water to his neck, feeling the scar. He could still remember feeling uneven, bumpy stitches that hurt going in and hurt being removed. The humans that did it, they considered knocking him out for it, but came to the conclusion that an animal doesn't feel pain. He shivered as though he was cold as he remembered the glint of a knife that was almost too dull to slice through his flesh.

Dipper had left the window open, and Bill was snapped back to attention as he heard a seagull caw loudly right by him. He could hear the sounds of other humans walking around and talking to themselves, and wondered just where they were. Sirens didn't map out locations, but went by the feel of the water and the currents as well. He just had to touch the water to know just where he was.

‘ _You'll do what I want, or you'll lose more than a couple o’ teeth.’_

Gideon had made it clear the purpose he was meant to fill. He didn't even know if he was considered a pet or a treasure. Gideon had punched him a couple times, and knocked out a couple of his teeth before he realized the siren wasn't going to give him what he wanted, the begging to stop and the cries of pain. Bill wouldn't have given them if he could.

 _‘Ya seem to like Dipper an awful lot. Ya really think he cares about ya? He don't. He only watches ya because_ **_I_ ** _say so.’_

Gideon had slammed his fist against his jaw for the second time, and he had lost a couple teeth with that particular blow. Bill wanted to throttle the fat man, since he didn't have any choice in this matter. He didn't get a choice over who took care of him. He knew Dipper didn't really like him.

Even if Dipper did like him, the brunet hadn’t done anything to really protect the siren from what had been going on. He could vaguely remember Dipper coming in and washing away blood before he slipped into unconsciousness, but even that was hazy. Bill wondered if Dipper had just left to give Gideon that time alone with him.

No, he didn’t like Dipper. He didn’t like the human who said no more pain would happen, who managed to weave sweet words that Bill wanted to hear. The brunet had been given the mission to get the siren, and it hadn’t really occurred to Bill until later that once he was in a new place, it might be worse than being on the pier.

He turned to face the wall, his claws going out to carve small but intricate pictures on it. Some were just random patterns, but others were easy to see. A fish, another siren, a knife, and a couple random human things he had seen in his time up on land. Bill placed his forehead against the wall with a slight ‘thunk’, upset that once more he was thinking about humans. Though he supposed it was only normal to think about the creatures that kidnapped him.

At least on the pier he had never lost teeth, and his tub wasn’t so small that he couldn’t move. At least on the pier, he hadn’t been forced with people who hated him. Now, he had privacy, he had time alone, but he didn’t know if it was worth it.

It was almost unheard of, how he hadn’t been in the water for so long. Bill sighed as he heard footsteps sounding outside the door, and figured that Dipper must be back already. His blue eyes snapped over to there, but the sight before him made him pale and shrink back down.

“Now, I know y’all are gonna love this. Ain’t seen anything like it before.”


	9. Don't touch

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so glad you guys get to share in the best day I've ever had! I got a new job, I got doughnuts, my mom made her famous muffins, and it's just been a great day.

Dipper almost couldn’t carry the amount of books he bought. His arms were weighed down, and he was sure he looked like a strange sight as he carried all of them back to the ship. It was safe to say he was nervous, but mainly excited. This could actually open up a whole new line of communication! He could only dream about the things the siren would be able to tell him, and he could learn things no other human could learn about before. Not even Grunkle Ford knew much about sirens, mermaids were much more common. 

Dipper had to tone down his excitement as he thought about it. The siren could not want to learn, he might not want to even spend more time with Dipper than he was forced to. Dipper wasn’t really sure when he couldn’t talk and get some form of communications open. He really hoped he just didn’t waste all of his money on books he really wouldn’t need. 

By the time he made it to the ship, his arms were shaking and he couldn’t feel the tips of his fingers. The entire ship seemed silent though, and Dipper was thankful for that. While he didn’t feel as though he need any help, his arms were shaking almost violently as he made his way downstairs and towards his room.

“... You’ve got to sell it to me.”

“What’s with the scar?”

“Can it do anything?”

Dipper frowned at the sounds of not only one voice but multiple, all coming from his room. The door wasn’t closed all the way, and Dipper bumped it with his hip to get it open as he didn’t even look at what was going on. His arms were shaking terribly, and he needed to get the books out of his arms. All of his books went right into his hammock, and he breathed a sigh of relief that didn’t last very long. 

Everyone had their attention on Dipper, when a moment before they had just been surrounding the siren in the tub. He didn’t know that such a large creature could get so small, but the siren was pressed back against the tub, almost lying flat on his back with his hands pressed tightly around his throat. Dipper didn’t step forward, and everyone seemed to be locked in an intense staring match.

“Boy.” Gideon started, sending Dipper a harsh glare. “You best know when ta leave.”

Dipper folded his arms over his chest to hide how his hands were shaking from exhaustion. He wasn’t sure what was going on, but he didn’t like it. Not when the siren was pressed so far away from hands that didn’t know how to keep to themselves, and how he didn’t even try to hiss and bite at anyone. The siren, well, he just looked scared.

“What’s going on here?” Moving forward, Dipper batted away the hands from the siren, standing firm before the other. “It better be a good reason, Gideon.”

The white haired male scowled, but picking a fight in front of others wasn’t something he was fond of unless he was sure he had the upper hand. The siren didn’t move, but his breathing hitched a little when Dipper stood in front of him. Dipper thought it was from fear.

“I was just showin’ these gentlemen the view.” Gideon dared to point to the window, as Dipper scoffed. “They was just looking.”

“Hey, I thought you said you were selling him!” One man, a taller one who was nothing more than a lanky form of skin and bones, spoke up rather bluntly. Dipper arched a brow, looking at Gideon, whose scowl only deepened.

“Selling him? I assure you, sir, you’re wasting your time.” Dipper snapped at the men. There were only three in the room, men of wealth, by the way that they dressed. Dipper uncrossed his arms to reach behind him and place his hands on the side of the tub, just to make sure the siren was safe.

“I got some other things y’all might be interested in anyways.” Gideon was already heading out. “Dipper and I gotta talk later ‘bout this anyways.” The fat man mumbled before slammed the door behind the last ‘customer.’ 

Breathing a sigh of relief, Dipper pulled up the chair and rubbed his sore shoulders. He could just barely see the siren shaking from the corner of his vision, and that made him more wary than anything else. Dipper was finally starting to get feeling back in his hands, and he ran them down his face to push some of his rage at Gideon back.

“He’s an idiot.” Dipper eventually mumbled. “Every time I leave you alone, he always finds a way to bother you, doesn’t he? I don’t know if you like that more than being around me.”

Dipper got no response, though he wasn’t really searching for one. The siren slowly drew himself out of the water, and Bill noticed a couple bruises and sore spots along the blondes back. He winced a little at the pain the siren must be in, but he didn’t know what he could do about that. It was hard to think it had been almost a week since the siren had been brought on board. 

“Look, you don’t have to like me, okay?” Dipper suddenly blurted, but unlike when he normally blurted things out, he made no move to stop himself from speaking more. “You gotta admit I’m better than Gideon though, and at least I don’t hurt you. Can’t we just...agree to get along?”

He got no response. At least, not at first. After long, agonizing moments, the siren slowly nodded his head up and down. If given the choice, the blonde would take dealing with Dipper over Gideon any moment.  

Bill glanced over Dipper, but cringed back as he saw the belt that Dipper had. Almost hidden from Bill’s sight, was a rather large knife. As much as Bill trusted Dipper, he didn't trust that knife. Not when the silver metal had already caused him so much pain. 

Dipper frowned, not sure what he did but at the same time knowing that he must have upset the siren in some way. Dipper took a step forward, but stopped as the siren seemed to be willing to leave the tub just to get away from Dipper. 

“What did I do?” Dipper asked, glancing around. “What's wrong?”

The siren didn't move for a moment, not until Dipper backed up a step. Bill pointed at Dipper’s waist, and then at the wall, where he had drawn the picture of a knife. As long as Dipper had that on his body, he wasn't going to get anything out of the siren but fear. 

“What, my knife?” Dipper pulled it out, and Bill shrunk away, but he didn't hiss as he would have before. Gideon had made it clean that hissing wasn't allowed. 

“I keep it to defend myself.” Dipper explained weakly, a sudden thought coming to him. “Is… Is this what they used to…”

The brunet gestured vaguely to his neck, setting the knife in the drawer of his desk. The siren watched carefully, only reacting when the knife was out of sight and away from him. Even then, it was just to relax and reassure himself that the danger was gone. Bill didn't answer the question. 

“Can I ask you some questions?”

It was hard to take this slow. Dipper wanted to know everything there was about the siren and then some, to learn all that he could. Yet it didn't seem he would get to that point yet, as the siren gave a firm shake of his head no, more than likely afraid of what Dipper would ask. 

“It won't be anything bad, I promise, I just wanted to know if you have a name.” 

Now that seemed to gather a bit of the others attention. Dipper grinned at the slow nod he got in response, and placed his hands on his knees. Glancing around the siren for blood, he didn't notice any new marks besides the one Gideon had left in his earlier private ‘meeting’ with the siren. Though his wall did seem have some new additions to it. 

“Did you draw on my wall?” Dipper was actually surprised. Not so much that the siren who seemed afraid of his own shadow actually drew, but by how good they were. Dipper leaned forward a little. 

Another nod, this one a bit more willing and less hesitant. Dipper grinned, reaching out and pointing at a couple things. 

“That's a boat, and that's a fish, right?” Dipper got another nod. “That's a knife. That one is you. Mabel would just love to meet and draw with you, I know it.”

The siren looked pleased that Dipper could tell what his carvings were. All in all, I was the closest Dipper had ever seen to the siren looking happy. The brunet smiled, as brightly as he could, with the weight of the situation dawning on him. 

Gideon had always been a jerk, but Dipper lived by a simple code on the ship. It was the same code that stopped him from getting bullied and hurt by others. Don't cause trouble, don't be different, and don't put yourself into situations where you were the focus. He had walked away from more stressful situations, situations where he should have should have intervened. 

That was how he survived. Unless someone was actually harassing him or Mabel, Dipper ignored what it was and moved on with his life. 

That was no way to live though. 

“I'm sorry I've been ignoring you, and haven't been helping with Gideon.” Dipper sat down on the floor next to the tub, crossing his legs. His hand went over and got a couple of the books, letting them rest on his knees. “That's going to change. I won't let him hurt you anymore.”

At least, he would try, and that was more he had done before. Dipper didn't want to live with the guilt of seeing this siren get hurt when he could have done something to prevent it. He reached out, but then pulled his hand back. 

“I got some books, about sirens and mermaids and how to learn sign language.” Dipper showed off the books rather proudly, as he did pay a lot of money for them, after all. The siren leaned forward to look at them, having never seen paper and books up close. 

His hand was wet as it touched the open book on Dipper’s knee, and Bill shrank back as he saw the ink run on the page from the water. Dipper resisted the urge to chuckle, but he didn't know Bill was considering everything a weapon. Dipper was just thinking Bill was scared of paper. 

“It's paper, it's not going to hurt you. It just can't get wet.” Dipper explained, flipping through the pages of the book about sign language. He was determined to learn the sirens name. 

“Let's start with the alphabet, okay?” Dipper held up the book so the siren could see it. “This one is A.”


	10. Name

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wonderful art!
> 
> [This](http://icantevenfindanurl.tumblr.com/post/139230707814/lets-start-with-the-alphabet-okay-dipper) by icantevenfindanurl  
> [A kiss](http://letmeshipinpeace.tumblr.com/post/139221229196/guess-who-is-obsessed-with-mutesirenbill-and) by letmeshipinpeace.

 

It had taken almost two hours to get through the alphabet, and that was just with making sure the siren had every sign down before they moved on to the next one. Small differences in the way hands moved could make a difference between one letter and the next. It would have been a lot faster if Dipper hadn't insisted on making sure the siren had every letter down perfectly before he moved on to the next one. He was a perfectionist at times, and communication was new and tentative between them. Dipper didn't want to ruin things.

“Did you know your scales are growing back already?” Dipper asked suddenly, pointing at the barely noticeable golden scales on the sirens skin.

The siren shrugged, having known they would grow back rather quickly. Hopefully this time he would be allowed to keep them all, instead of having people rip them off his skin. Though Bill knew that was going to be next to impossible, since Gideon seemed fascinated with the shiny scales.

“I'm glad they're back. You look better with a tail that has scales.” Dipper laughed to himself like he told a joke, and finally decided they were done with the alphabet. He did leave the book open in case the siren needed it, but it was no longer resting in his lap. Instead it was on the floor, off to the side.

“What's your name?” To say Dipper was excited to open the lines of communication and really get talking was an understatement. It would take a while for the siren to really learn words and everything there was for sign language, but Dipper was determined to help with that.

_B - I - L - L_

“Bill?” Dipper asked slowly, convinced he had read the signs wrong. The siren, Bill, nodded excitedly, looking more alive than he had in the whole time Dipper knew him. “That's a nice name.”

Safe to say, Dipper had been expecting a name he wouldn't be able to pronounce properly, or something that wouldn't translate well into his language. Dipper didn't know if Bill’s language under the sea was anything like their language, but he supposed that since sirens sang their songs in the human language, they must have some knowledge of their language.

Bill, looking extremely satisfied with himself, leaned back in the tub and tried to copy Dipper’s pose. He was never sure what was acceptable for human behavior, since he was content to lay under the water and not move for hours, so Bill found himself copying Dipper’s body language more often than not.

_D - I - P - P - E - R_

“That’s me.” Dipper nodded, after Bill finished signing. The siren still looked pleased with himself, and Dipper laughed a little.

The silence, for once, between them was relaxed and kind, and Dipper enjoyed it. For once he didn’t feel the need to talk to fill the silence, and Bill seemed happy about that as well. Bill. Dipper couldn’t get over that, the fact that he now knew something about the siren that no other human could say they knew. He wanted to learn everything about Bill.

“Dipper.” A sudden voice spoke up that didn’t belong to the siren or to the brunet, and both of their gazes snapped towards the doorway. Gideon stood there, a scowl on his face and arms just barely managing to cross over his chest. “We need ta talk.”

Bill frowned, and so did Dipper. It was almost comical how much they looked alike, and if Gideon was in any sort of a laughing mood, he would have laughed at that. Yet the scowled stayed on the fat man’s face, his mood having been completely ruined by Dipper’s previous actions.

“Now.”

Without another word the man turned on his heel and left Dipper and Bill like he had never been there. The human sighed for a moment, looking at Bill before he rose to his feet. This talk wasn’t going to be pleasant at all, but he supposed it would have to happen sooner or later.

“I’ll be back.” Dipper handed Bill the book, who looked at it curiously and attempted to turn the pages. “Don't put it in the water.”

The fat man was waiting outside of Dipper’s room, and Dipper made sure to shut the door firmly behind him. No doubt Bill would be listening, but the brunet didn't need the other eavesdropping.

“Ya ever talk ta me like that again and I'll throw ya overboard.” Gideon snarled, reaching out to shove Dipper against the closed door. “It can't stay here for free, I ‘ave lots of plans for it.”

“It's not an object.” Dipper snapped back, pushing Gideon's hand away from him. “He's not something you can parade around! You keep hurting him, and you're not going to get any money from that.”

“Know your place, boy.” Gideon spat. “Keep this up, and I'll make sure that fish doesn't see the light of day ever again. It's my fish, you're just taking care o’ him.”

They glared at each other, both coming at an impasse as either refused to back down. Dipper ran his hands down his face, shaking from the amount of rage he was feeling.

“You knocked out three of his teeth and took all of the scales from his skin. What do you plan to do, sell him?” Dipper wanted to do something to appeal to the others humanity, if Gideon even had any left. “If you do anything like that, I'm telling Mabel.”

Mabel was Dipper’s one and only trump card, and he wasn't above playing it. Gideon still did want to win Mabel's favor, having told several of the crew how he plans to make her his queen and they would rule the sea together. With one well placed letter, Dipper could ruin all of those plans.

“Tell her then, I'll still get what I want.” Gideon sneered, lip curling up in a snarl. “What I do with ‘im ain't none of your business. If ya can't keep your nose out of it, I'll find someone else to watch ‘im.”

Did anything more need to be said? Gideon apparently didn’t think so, and Dipper didn’t say anything as the other finally left him be. Gideon didn't want to take care of Bill, but he didn't want to leave the siren in the care of Dipper. Everyone else was too essential to his crew.

Besides, Dipper could go and tattle on him to Mabel for all he cared. Gideon had big plans ahead of him for the crew and the siren, and the Pines weren't going to get in the way of that. It was about time that someone took Dipper off that pedestal anyways.

Turning a little bit and walking the to the room, it took Dipper a moment to calm down the torrent of emotions inside. He hated talking and arguing with Gideon, as it always left him feeling shaken and thinking he could have done something better. Bill was still in his tub, but it wasn't like he could go anywhere else. The new scales glittered in the light, and Bill was holding the book upside down in his hands.

“You're holding that upside down.” Dipper took the book and righted it before he handed the book back. “Can you read?”

The siren shook his head, staring down at the pictures instead of the words. Dipper didn’t say anything as he sat crossed legged on the floor by the siren. For once it felt like a comfortable silence between the two of them, and not something awkward as they didn’t know what to say.

Bill waved a hand in Dipper’s face as he wanted attention, and Dipper left his thoughts to focus on the situation. The siren wasn’t that hard to give attention to, since Dipper still wanted to know everything about Bill.

_M - A - B - L - E_

Dipper was surprised, though not so much because of the misspelling. More so that Bill overheard them, and thought to comment on it.

“Mabel.” Dipper confirmed, showing Bill how to spell her name. “She’s my twin sister. Do you have family?”

The siren’s face fell, and he turned back to the book. Dipper didn’t know what he had done wrong for a moment, since he was just trying to make conversation, but then it dawned on him. It was possible that Bill didn’t have any family, or if he did he had no idea how hard it would be to stay away from that family for so long.

Bill didn’t have the speech powers to explain that he did have family, and that he missed them terribly. Human words were strange, and he wasn’t sure that he was spelling words correctly. It wasn’t even going to be trying for a little bit.

“Bill?” Dipper’s voice was soft, and the slightest tilt of Bill’s head was the only sign that the siren was listening and not flat out ignoring him.

Yet the brunet didn’t know what to say, and silence fell over them once more. Dipper didn’t know if he could reach out and offer Bill any comfort, and he wasn’t sure there were any words that could comfort the other.

Bill put back the book and curled up, turning his back to Dipper and ignoring the other fully. The brunet could see angry sores starting to appear on Bill’s back from the position he was forced in, but Dipper didn’t know how to help that. Taking a step back, Dipper made sure the books were within Bill’s reach before he went back to his hammock, feeling the ship starting to move as they left port.


	11. Out of the frying pan

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You all are going to hate me and I regret nothing.

Apparently not getting mad at Bill for carving into the walls was a sign to the siren that he should do it more often. It seemed every time Dipper had to leave the room for even a second, he would come back to a new drawing decorating the wall. Even if most of them were a bit crude, they were pleasant to look at. The brunet didn't really mind, since it gave Bill something to do, and it made his small room feel more at home.

Simple spelling out of words became mismatched sentences as Bill tried to figure out the language. It was much easier to listen and understand than try to string together a sentence on his own. Often he resorted to letting a topic drop instead of trying to get his point across, because he didn't have the right vocabulary. Bill sometimes found himself glaring down at his hands as though they were the reason why he couldn't talk.

Though some phrases were easily known between the two of them as the ship sailed over rocky waters. Dipper now spent most of his time down in the cabin below, wondering if he was being missed up stairs but reasoning that they would have gotten him if they needed him. So far, not one person had come down to see him.

_Hungry._

_Fresh water._

_Please._

_Cold._

Such words Dipper made sure Bill learned immediately. It had certainly helped when Bill wanted something and couldn't narrow down his word choice. Dipper found himself changing the water more often than before, and Bill found himself trying to reach out more than before. They seemed to have a well thought out balance between them.

Dipper found himself speaking at times about random things to fill the silence, when Bill didn't seem like talking and Dipper didn't want to leave him alone. He talked about everything under the sun, and asked things about sirens that either Bill didn't know or didn't want to answer. More often than not, Dipper just ended up talking about home.

“Gideon doesn't like me, at all. I don't think he thought through what it would mean to have me on board. I'm pretty sure he wanted to just torture me.” Dipper shook his head, a book open on his lap but not even looking at it. “He’s obsessed with my twin, Mabel. Won't leave her alone. The only reason he doesn't just get rid of me is that Mabel would know something was wrong and never speak to him again, not that they're on speaking terms now.”

Dipper laughed a little to himself. “That stupid guy won't even take me near home, I think it's because he's smart enough to know that I'll run away and tell everyone at home about him. Everyone there thinks he just runs a fishing barge.”

Once more, he laughed to himself, though Dipper was delighted to see the small smile that graced Bill’s features. He could feel the ship swaying underneath them, but he had long since lost his sea sickness. After all, they had been out at sea for a couple more days, they would arrive at port at any moment.

“He doesn’t like to talk about it, but one time when we were little-.”

Dipper was suddenly cut off as the door to his room slammed open, and Dipper wanted to groan at the thought of Gideon being there and interrupting them once more. Couldn’t they get a moment alone? Not that Dipper had anything to talk about, but he just enjoyed talking to Bill.

Yet it wasn’t Gideon standing there, but his two favorite lackeys, Ghost Eyes and Killbone. Dipper’s brows furrowed in confusion for a moment as they walked in, but before he could even protest they had their hands on Bill’s tank and were hauling it up.

“What are you doing?” Dipper stood, books toppling from his desk as he was pushed against it. He let out a small ‘oof’ from the force of it, but there was no real pain there. “Put him back down!”

“Gideon wants him back on deck.” Said Ghost Eyes, not even giving Dipper a passing glance as they went from the room.

“Someone might see him!” Dipper was hot on their heels as they walked, but besides that he couldn't do much besides jump right on them, and if he did that they could drop Bill, and hurt him.

“I think that's the point.”

Bill sank as much as he could into the water that was falling out of the with how they were less than gentle, his hands gripping the sides of the tank and claws digging into the wood. Dipper protested the whole way they were going up, but it fell on deaf ears as they finally reached the deck. The sight there made Dipper’s voice catch in his throat, and it made Bill pale and sink into the water until his head was submerged.

“Come one, come all! See a once in a lifetime opportunity. Ladies and gentlemen, I ‘ant to show you somethin’ amazin’.”

Gideon was standing on the bow of the ship, wearing his old powder blue suit that Dipper hasn't seen since he came on board. They had arrived at a new port, and on the pier the ship was attached to was what looked like hundreds of people. Dipper figured out what was going on in less than a second, as Ghost Eyes and Killbone got Bill ready. The sirens wrists were bound in an intricate knot, and the tank was toppled over so the water would spill out and the siren would splash on the deck.

“Gideon!” Dipper shouted, causing almost all of the crew to look at him. Gideon sighed and turned his head, but didn't give Dipper his full attention. The crowd below had yet to see the blond siren.

“Now boy, if ya can't behave I'll just ‘ave to throw ya in the bring until we're done ‘ere.”

Dipper wanted to scream. He ran his hands over his face, and suddenly there was a hand on his shoulder holding him back and keeping him from attacking Gideon on the spot. Dipper didn’t know who it was, but he saw a hook go through the binds on Bill’s wrists, starting to haul him up.

“You can’t do this!” Dipper ended up screaming, and suddenly the hand that was on his arm went around his waist instead. Before he could lung for Gideon, he was hauled over Killbone’s shoulder and being brought down below deck.

“Gideon!” Dipper was a frantic, frightened mess as Killbone brought him below deck without a word. He struggled and squirmed, but nothing he did seemed to be affecting the large man carrying him.

Bill stared at him with wide blue eyes as he was brought under the deck, and Dipper tried to convey how sorry he was but felt unable to do so. Dipper landed a couple hard kicks against Killbone’s stomach, but that didn’t seem to affect the other at all.

“I’ll let you out later.” The man said when they finally got down into the bowels of the ship. Killbone took a moment before he threw Dipper into the cell, slamming the door which locked shut automatically.

Dipper lunged forward but wasn’t there in time to catch the door before it shut, and his fingers wrapped around the iron bars. There was hardly any light, Dipper didn’t know how long he was going to be down there, and he didn’t know if Bill was going to be okay.

Dipper had never been so frightened in his life.

* * *

Bill’s hands were already getting rope burns on them as the hook started to travel back into the air and haul him up with him. He felt like he couldn’t breath from the lack of water, however slight, and the warm sun was already starting to dry him out. Humans had legends of mermaids who would be able get legs when they came out of the water, but the same didn’t happen to sirens. When sirens were out of the water, they died.

He was hanging limp in the air, his tail flicking occasionally to show he was alive, but otherwise unmoving. The blond head hung, with his chin resting against his chest and hands balled into tight fists. The sirens arms were screaming in pain, and he heard the gasps of humans as he came into view before them. He already knew his tail wasn’t as bright as it could be, because the scales weren’t fully grown in, but he just hoped that Gideon wouldn’t try to take them from him again.

“Don’t ya’ll worry none, he can’t hurt ya’ll.” Gideon spoke, getting one of the pirates so he could rest on their shoulders but still talk to the crowd. “When I got ‘im, he was almost dead in a circus act. They cut out his voice.” The fat man drew a chubby finger over his neck to emphasize the point. “So now he’s just a big fishy.”

The people were gasping and letting out small noises of awe, and Bill couldn’t do anything for a moment as he hung limp in the air. On the pier, he could look through the stands at night and see shops, and on boring days when the circus and there were no people, Bill could see the shops hanging up dead fish for display. He felt like one of those.

“No, he ain’t for sale.” Gideon was still speaking, and Bill tried to move his hands to gain feeling back in them, or to do anything to get relief for his arms. “Ya’ll paid for a show though, what else can I do but give ya a show?”

Bill couldn’t breathe, he couldn’t get any kind of air into his lungs. His skin had never been this dry before, and now he had nothing more to do than to lay there and take this. He struggled in vain as Gideon still talked to the crowd, but he couldn’t pay attention anymore. Bill was going to die.

“Hang on folks, he’s gettin’ a bit dry.” Gideon gestured to one of the pirates, and suddenly Bill was splashed with a bucket full of water. Relief flowed through him, but it was short lived.

“Gotta take care of my fish, after all.” Gideon gave Bill’s tail a pat, ignoring how Bill tried to shy away from him. “Can’t ruin my best act.”

Bill had heard a phrase, being on the pier and around humans all of the time. He didn’t understand it, not until he had first seen fire. Even then, he really didn’t understand it. Not until this moment, as Gideon talked to more humans and showed him off like a prized slab of meat. He had really gone from out of the frying pan and into the fire itself.


	12. And Into The Fire

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I need a beta reader for this fic. If anyone is interested, let me know.

Hours later when the sun had set and the people of the town had gone home after the marvel of the sea creature that wasn't meant to exist, someone finally went downstairs to get Dipper. Being beneath the surface of the water, there was hardly any light. Dipper had spent the hours down there trying to get the lock to open up, and when he wasn't doing that he was trying to hear anything that would give him a hint of what was going on up on deck. Yet the only sounds he could hear was the slap of water on the ship and his own racing heartbeat. 

Ghost Eyes didn't say anything when he unlocked the doors, but he did step to the side as Dipper raced past. He was almost blinded when he exited the brig and the light shined on him, even if it was dimmed and just the light from the setting sun. He still forced himself on, stumbling up the steps of the ship until he was finally in his room. 

There was no one there. No brightly colored fish, no Gideon, nothing. The carvings were still on the wall, his book scattered as they had been thrown to the side when he tried to get to Bill, but there was no siren. It was actually good that the white haired man wasn't in the room, because he would have gotten a ferocious left hook from Dipper and not even a second glance. 

Quickly racing up on deck, he was there just as Bill was lowered back to the deck. The siren looked half dead, breathing shallow and dried out. Dipper was there in less than a second, frantically worrying over his friend. Though he didn't think friend was the ugh the word to describe what they were. That was an issue to think about later though, his feelings weren't as important as getting Bill well again. 

The siren was pale as a sheet and his lips were cracked, and Dipper didn’t know what to do. There was already hands traveling over Bill as someone lifted him into a tub of water, and while the siren didn’t look as pale as before, he did look as horrible as well. The sirens lips were cracked and dry, and Dipper found himself paralyzed as he watched Bill being brought below deck. Dipper screamed a little internally, looking around at everyone else as they simply got ready for the night. 

“Did no one try to help him?” Dipper asked himself. “You all let him be strung up, gawked at and hurt, and no one even did anything? Am I the only one with a bit of sense here?”

“What's wrong with you all?!” Dipper stood, now having the whole attention of the crew, who said nothing. “That's a living being you're hurting! Just because he can't talk doesn't mean he's not in pain! And you all follow blindly to Gideon’s rules!”

Gideon was standing at the helm of the ship, watching Dipper’s reactions. He didn't really care what Dipper was saying, since he knew his crew loved him and wouldn't turn on him, but the screams were starting to get annoying. He got Killbone to stand behind him and look intimidating as he looked down on the other. 

“Boy, if you know what's good for you, you'll shut your mouth and go downstairs.” Gideon snapped, waving off watching eyes. Dipper didn't care for them, but he wasn't going to stop just because they were watching. 

“You.” Dipper breathed, looking ready to kill something for once in his life. “You are a horrible person. You think you're so much better, that you're entitled to everyone. Well you know what? There's no hope for you. I thought you could one day redeem yourself, to be a better person who was  _ worthy _ of love. You don’t deserve anything from anyone. You deserve to go and rot in hell. You are not someone worthy of affection.”

Mabel could have seen him, could have grown to love him. She was always willing to give people second chances, after all. Dipper was a panting mess by the end of his speech, and everyone was staring at them and Gideon, who just looked shocked. 

“I always thought there was more to you. I thought that maybe, just maybe, you could be a person that would be good, that would change, but that’s not it. You’re horrible and cruel, and that’s never going to change.”

Feeling his breathing calm down as he let out his final blow of a statement, Dipper turned on his heel and left the crew alone, going back below deck to take care of Bill. Gideon still looked shocked, staring at the place where Dipper had been, not moving. 

“Gideon?” Ghost Eyes eventually came up to see if the fat man was alright, placing a hand on Gideon’s shoulder as he spoke. “You okay?”

Ghost Eyes didn’t say that what Dipper said was false. Even most of the crew, for how much they adored Gideon, thought the fat man had gone too far this time. Bill had just been a poor casualty in a way to hurt Dipper. Though Gideon didn’t think he would face such retaliation.

“I’m fine.” Gideon brushed away the hand from his shoulder, turning away from the place where Dipper was standing and going back to his crew.

Perhaps it was time for a change of pace. After all, this had been a punishment for Dipper for his back talk, not so much for the siren who couldn’t speak. Not that either of them needed to know that, it was better they both blame themselves. Plus, it had been fun to watch the fish squirm on his hook and know he couldn’t get away. 

* * *

Things weren’t the same after that. There was a tenseness in the siren that wouldn’t be silenced, knowing that Gideon could hurt him again and that Dipper couldn’t stop him. Guilt constantly tore away at Dipper, since he hadn’t protected him. The amount of times that Dipper apologized was too many to count, but it still wasn’t the same.

“Bill.” Dipper spoke softly, seeing the siren slip underneath the water to avoid him. They had left port and were going somewhere else, but Bill didn’t care. Going to port wasn’t a good association for him now.

“Bill.” This time the siren lifted himself from the water, but he didn’t acknowledge Dipper. Bill didn’t want to, he didn’t want to be there and have to think about being on a ship.

“Tell me what you’re thinking.” Sometime during it, Dipper had slipped down to the floor and rested against the tub. “Please.”

Bill hesitated, not wanting to talk but also not wanting to ignore his one friend. Maybe something more could happen between them, but he didn’t want to think of that. Bill shouldn’t want to be with a human.

_ Home. _

Dipper frowned a little bit at the signed word, not realizing he had taught Bill that particular one. Did Bill mean being on the pier? It wasn’t that, and while Dipper realized he should have known that there was a place Bill really called home, it still came as a shock. Did Bill have family? Dipper suddenly had a million questions.

Yet this wasn’t the time for that. Bill was upset, and Dipper wanted to help. He felt he should change the subject, so that way the other wouldn’t be thinking about sad things. Honestly though, Dipper didn’t have a lot to talk about. 

“I miss my sister.” Dipper ended up whispering with a small frown. Bill looked at him silently, not saying anything for a moment. 

So he began talking about his sister, Dipper dissolved into the tale of what adventures he had gone on before coming on this ship. Though he had to say, Dipper’s favorite adventure so far was the one he was currently experiencing, the one with a siren who couldn’t sing.


	13. Overboard

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Everyone give thanks for my beta readers, Criminals_code and RoboticSpaceCase!

“So another time, Mabel and I were spending the summer with our uncle, and she got this pig, yes this is all relevant,” Dipper continued as he told the story.

Bill listened eagerly, wondering just what would happen next. Dipper had the most interesting stories about family and everything he had been through. Bill had some funny stories too, but he could never tell them to Dipper, his vocabulary wasn’t large enough for it yet.

“Okay so do you know what pigs are?” Dipper asked, stopping for a moment.

Bill shook his head in a ‘no’ but he still wanted to hear the story for what happened. It was fascinating to hear about Dipper’s life. He made a small gesture for Dipper to keep talking. 

“I guess you don’t need to know what pigs are. They’re pets, basically, like a dog or a cat.” Dipper didn’t seem to realize that what he said raised more questions than it did answers, as just kept talking.

Bill didn’t mind, even though it was hard to keep up with the story when he didn’t know half of the things Dipper was talking about.

“Anyways, so Waddles, the pig, gets kidnapped by this dinosaur.” Bill didn’t know what a dinosaur was either. "So we all have to go on his rescue mission to go and save him. All you really need to know is that at the end my great uncle jumped off a cliff and punched the dinosaur in the face!”

Dipper laughed as though he told the best joke in the world, and Bill soundlessly joined in the laughter.

_What is dinosaur?_ Bill asked, having to spell out dinosaur.

Dipper frowned as he tried to think of how to explain what they were. Bill always managed to ask him questions he never thought of before.

“They used to roam the land before humans. They’re basically giant lizards.” Dipper explained vaguely, now thinking he should go and get a book on animals. Bill didn’t ask what lizards were, since he didn’t know what those were either.

_When port?_ Bill asked instead, looking over at Dipper. It wasn’t that he was looking forward to going there, but he knew what Gideon had planned now, and he didn’t want to be caught off guard.

Dipper frowned a little bit, not sure if this was a good topic for right then, but still answering.

“Tomorrow, we should get there tomorrow.” Dipper sighed. “I’ll try to stop Gideon, but I don’t know if I can. He’s a jerk, he won’t listen to anyone but himself.”

Bill shrugged a little. _Not your fault._ He ended up signing after a moment. _Did you know life like this?_ He felt weird trying to talk and not have a full vocabulary to voice what was in his head. He wanted to ask if Dipper knew his life would be like this, if Dipper knew that his life would be like this. Sitting in a tub with his back constantly aching, and with a captain who wanted to torture him.

“I didn’t think my life would turn out like this,” Dipper started after a moment. “I didn’t know what Gideon wanted from you, but I knew he wanted you, and I saw you on the pier. I honestly thought you’d be happier here than there. I mean, you’re not baking on the pier, and you’re not losing your scales.”

Bill shrugged, because as much as he liked Dipper, he wasn’t sure that he liked it here. If he had his way, Bill would be back in the ocean swimming his days away, not restricted by cages or nets or anything. Instead there was nothing else he could besides try to stretch out his tail in the tub and wish he could swim once more.

Dipper didn’t know what to say anymore. Was he happy? Dipper didn’t think that Bill could be very happy lying in the tub all day and night. Dipper didn’t think that he could do anything, at least he felt like he couldn’t do anything that would make this situation better and not worse.

“I know you don’t like it here, it’s okay,” Dipper eventually said. “I wouldn’t like it much here either.”

_I like you._ Bill signed after a long moment. That much was true though, because he did like Dipper. Bill didn’t really like a lot of things about his life right then, but Dipper was one of them. 

A small blush covered Dipper’s cheeks as he watched the signs Bill gave him. He didn’t know what else he could do, since he did like Bill as well, but he didn’t know if the siren knew the meaning of his words. Did Bill mean friendship? Or something more?

“I like you too,” Dipper eventually mumbled.

For the first time in a long time, the silence that fell over them was awkward, and Dippr didn’t know what to do. Bill seemed to have an idea, and reached out of his tub to grab a book and place it in Dipper’s lap.

_Read to me?_  

Bill enjoyed the activity, but he didn’t ask for it often. It was always something he felt like was a burden to others, yet Dipper made him feel like a priority and appreciated. It still felt strange asking for things when he could go without.

“This one? It’s one about sirens. You should tell me if it says something wrong,” Dipper chuckled and cracked open the book, resting his back against the tank and letting Bill look over his shoulder. “Where should we start? We’re in the north, so we can start with the cold water mermaids.”

Bill gave a sharp jab Dipper’s side, making the other jump and look confused. Though when he realized what he had done, he just laughed.

“Siren, sorry.” Dipper turned back to the book. “Anyways cold water sirens. Apparently they originate from a different line…”

Bill rested his head on the tank, listening to Dipper talk and just enjoying the sounds. Even if everything the book talked about was completely wrong. It was just the sounds of Dipper’s voice that Bill loved so much. If he could speak, Bill would spend all of his time talking and telling Dipper stories.

It was a couple hours later, when Dipper’s voice started to get rough from use, that Dipper paused and gave reading a rest.

Bill looked over at the book as Dipper drank some water, not noticing how the brunet stared out the window.

“We stopped moving…” Dipper voiced, and Bill placed the book aside.

Hadn’t Dipper said they wouldn’t get to port for a couple more days? The siren couldn’t do anything other than flick his tail back and forth like the cats he knew nothing about. 

“I’ll go and see what’s going on.” Dipper smiled at Bill, even though it was a bit forced, and rose to leave Bill alone once more.

The golden siren yawned, looking through the book once he picked it up again. It was hard to read, and he could pick out letters, but he couldn’t string together words. Sign language was easier, since Dipper spent more time teaching that. Bill only looked through the book to see the pictures. 

It was a couple minutes later when someone came back, and unfortunately it wasn’t Dipper. It was two men that Bill vaguely recognized, and they didn’t speak as they lifted his tank once more.

Bill could only imagine that they had finally gotten to port, and he was going to be tortured again.

_Please, stop._ Did they understand what he was signing? He signed the same words again, but it got no reaction from them as they carried him up on deck.

_I don’t want ropes again._

Dipper was standing, and arguing frantically with Gideon about something. Dipper only glanced at Bill, otherwise still waving his arms as they argued.

Bill’s tank was placed on the ground, and then the siren himself hauled out of it. Bill didn’t even struggle, and for the first time in years, something amazing happened. He was brought to the edge of the boat, and while he wasn’t released down into the water, he was still closer to home than he had been in years.

“Bill, what are you doing?” Dipper raced forward, his hands reaching out as though he was going to yank Bill back from the edge and bring him back to the boat.

Bill shied back from the hands though, and Dipper brought them back immediately. Dipper lt his hands curl against his chest instead.

_I don’t know._ Bill signed, coming to the realization that Dipper didn’t want him to leave. Could he have left before if Dipper helped him? He probably would have been able to, and it angered him.

Dipper seemed to care about him, why wouldn’t he want him to go home?

“Here’s what’s goin’ on.” Gideon walked up, staying behind Dipper, who wouldn’t look at anyone besides Bill. “I figured ya would make me more money searching the beaches than bein’ on display.”

Bill hadn’t liked getting strung up like a fish for sale, that was for sure. He looked cautious between Dipper and Gideon, not sure which one to go with. Freedom was only a couple feet away, and he could just play along to get out.

“Now, I know you’re thinkin’ about leavin’ and not comin’ back, but let’s just say I’ll make it worth you’re while.” Gideon kept talking, pulling out his gun as he spoke.

Bill didn’t know the full damage that a gun could do, but he knew that they made humans fall and never get up again.

Raising it silently, Gideon pointed it at the back of Dipper’s head, who didn’t notice at all. To Dipper, it looked as though Bill was still making up his mind. The siren didn’t move, still staring blankly until Gideon finally took the gun and placed it back in his belt. 

_I will come back._ He signed slowly to Dipper, pretending not to notice the way the brunet sighed in relief as he translated. It hurt, it hurt a lot for Bill, realizing that Dipper didn’t want him to be free.

Gideon gave a wide grin when he heard the news, and with one chubby hand he reached forward and shoved Bill off the edge of the ship and into the water.

The siren fell without a sound, landing hard in the water, but immediately feeling the change from stagnant water he had known for years. He was back, he was home.


	14. I'm coming home

The water was alive, it was warm and welcoming and everything that he wanted from it. Bill hadn’t thought he missed it so much, but now he was back in it, all thoughts of going back to the ship forgotten.

Immediately Bill was at the bottom of the sea, practically rolling in the sand and feeling the seaweed between his fingers. He was finally home, and it felt great.

The ship was still floating above him, and Bill didn’t even send it a passing glance. 

He moved out from the shadow of the ship though, so that he would be able to feel the bright sun on his skin, and he wouldn’t have to worry about them being able to send the anchor to land on him. Even though that was a long shot to begin with.

Where was he? Concentrating on the currents for just a moment told him where he was, which wasn’t that far from where he had first been picked up. No wonder he immediately felt at home the second he was placed in the water that actually felt alive and wasn’t dead. This water had life in it, it had soul in it.

He raked his tail through the sand to truly get the feeling of home against his skin before he raced off deeper into the sea. 

A part of him did feel terrible for leaving Dipper at Gideon’s mercy, but at the same time he was still hurt that Dipper had tried to stop him from taking that moment of freedom. Dipper had seen all of the abuse he had been through, why was it such a bad thing he was taking the chance to get free? 

Dipper was probably just thinking of himself. Bill didn’t blame him, as he was always looking out for himself first of all, but it still stung. How much did Dipper care about him, if he wasn’t going to let Bill escape an abusive situation?

Yet at the same time, wasn’t that what he was leaving Dipper in? He was leaving Dipper with a horrible situation, where Gideon would hurt the other if he didn’t return, and if he didn’t return with treasure on top of that.

Bill brushed all those thoughts aside as he pushed himself to swim faster. He was home, he was free. He didn’t have to go back if he didn’t want to, nothing could ever force him to return to that tub.

How wonderful it felt to have his entire body stretch out and not feel the confines of the tank hit against him. He could feel the sun against his skin through the water, and he could breathe in fresh water that wasn’t tainted and stale. Bill was happy

Over the time of being with Dipper, well, more like being on Gideon’s ship, he had spend a lot of time practicing his voice. At least now he could make small sounds, and though they hurt they were still produced and out there. It was more than he could hope to create on the pier.

It didn't matter that much, not when what really mattered was the fact that he was home, and it wasn't that far of a swim from his family. 

Soon the ship was nothing more than a speck in the distance, and it was nothing more than a passing thought. They were just bad memories floating on the distance, and it was nothing to him. The scar would fade and soon enough he would be able to get his voice back. There wouldn't be a thing that would bother him, not when he had his family back, he was home, and he couldn't wait to be completely reunited with the sea. 

It was barely a ten minute swim before he was back at the sunken ship that his family called home. It really wasn't that much of a swim, and he could just barely see the form of his older brother and sister there. They probably thought he was dead, but it didn't matter, because now he was back. 

Bill was the youngest, with his older brother William surpassing him by ten years and his older sister, Ahna, surpassed him by four years. He had a mother and a father, and they meant more to him than anything else. To Bill, family was everything, and he was cherished among his family. Bill was the baby of the family, and he knew it. 

His brother noticed him first, racing forward and embracing Bill while the blond fought back tears. William was like his brother, with a bright mop of blond hair, but with a bright red tail instead of the gold one Bill had.

Ahna looked confused for a moment as she saw her brothers embracing, but then it dawned on her that Bill was alive, and he was right there. 

“Bill!” Ahna’s own tail was an off shade of blue, looking closer to navy than it was close to blue. Bill pulled away from Will with a silent sob, getting closer to his sister and bringing Ahna in for a hug as well. 

They were a strange group, but family was family, and it meant everything to sirens. Nothing would be able to tear Bill from his family now that he was reunited with them. 

Will and Ahna pulled away from their new found brother, leading him down into the ship. Bill hoped his mother was there, having missed her most, but he wouldn’t mind waiting until she came back. He had all the time in the world now.

“Where have you been, Bill?” Ahna latched onto his hand like she was known to do, refusing to let go. 

Immediately, he started signing, only to get looks of confusion from his brother and sister at the gestures. He stopped his hands, trying to think of some way to explain what was happening when he couldn’t even get the words out. 

After a moment he let his head fall back, showing them the dark scar that had yet to fade.  William stared at it for a moment, his face darkening, but Ahna outright gasped, hand going to cover her mouth.  After a moment they both turned their gaze away from the shameful mark, their hatred of humans growing by the second. 

“Does it hurt?” Will asked, as he lifted up the plank of wood that hid the entrance to their home.

Bill was so relieved that everything stayed just as he left it.

Shaking his head, Bill looked around the small area that his family spent the most time in. The little items that Bill had collected and used to mark the place as his own were no longer there, but Bill didn't blame them for that. They thought he was dead, but he couldn't help but feel horrible that they had tossed him away so easily. He hadn't been gone long, had he?

Bill couldn't dwell on it for long though, because he saw his mother, and pushed himself in front of his brother to greet her. 

Any time he had been gone was suddenly erased, it was like he never left in the first place. Bill wished he could cry, because at least that would help with some of his pent up emotions. 

“Bill!” His mother, an aging siren by the name of Morna, raced forward, almost knocking him into the wall when they finally hugged.

Bill didn't even mind, instantly hugging her back and doing his best to show through a hug how much he missed her. 

“Where have you been? What have you been doing? Do you have any idea how much we worried over you?” She asked frantically, pulling back to place her hands on his shoulders.

Bill nodded to show he understood, placing his hands over hers. If only the gnawing guilt over what he was doing to Dipper would leave him be. 

“He can't speak, mama.” Will murmured, finally speaking up. “Look what the humans did to his neck. It's terrible.”

Though Bill didn't want to show her; he tilted his head back to show his mother the dark scar across his neck.  Bill himself had never seen it before, but he knew it was an ugly sight to see just based off his family’s reactions.  Sure enough, his mother's face was shocked, and yet her hands dropped from him like he was made of fire. 

“You let them do that to you?” She asked in shock, and Bill backed up, frantically shaking his head.

How could he explain that they held him down and did the unthinkable? Removing his voice was like losing his arm, it was as much a part of him as everything else.

His mother's face hardened. “If you didn't, you would have died trying to get free and we would have an honorable son to mourn. You took the coward's way out and lived.”

William and Ahna were staring at their mother in shock, unable to argue for Bill and Bill unable to argue for himself.   He couldn't even explain that he was only good alive and stuck as an attraction to bring more humans by. Bill had no choices, and he knew they wouldn't bring him the sweet release of death. 

He was a coward, because he couldn't do the brave thing and end his own life. 

“He didn’t… Mama I’m sure he just wanted to come home.” Ahna spoke up, swimming just a bit closer. Yet one sharp look from her mother immediately had her back and silent.

“That doesn’t matter. He knows how we feel about this. A siren who can’t sing isn’t a siren at all. He will be a burden for the family.” Morna kept talking, starting to come forward and push Bill towards the exit. “I cannot kill you because you’re my own son, but I can’t have you here. You have brought shame on your family.”

Bill let himself be pushed, the tears pricking at his eyes taken away by the ocean before he could notice he was crying.

Sirens and mermaids didn’t cry, it was a notion lost on creatures who never broke the surface. Yet Bill knew what it was like to breathe air, and with that, came tears.

“Leave, before I change my mind.” Morna turned her back on her son, and slowly, so did William and Ahna, as well as his father who Bill had completely forgotten about.

Unable to do anything else, Bill did just that, turning his tail and swimming as fast as he could. He felt his eyes sting not from the force of the water, but from the pain he felt of his family.  There was so much he wanted to do, but now it felt so wrong, because there was no family there to share it with.

There was still one person who would be willing to spend time with him though.

Bill glanced back at the direction he came from, where the ship was still waiting for him.  Gideon wouldn’t like him to come back with nothing to show for it. 

Bill glanced around, looking at the seafloor, knowing what he had to do next.


	15. Covered in Gold

The water was starting to get choppy, whiteheads roared across the horizon. Dipper had been standing at the edge of the ship for hours now, with his hands attached to the railing and refusing to move. He wouldn't eat, he wouldn't look or talk at anyone else, he just stared at the water. 

A part of him knew he was being stupid about this. Bill would come back, wouldn't he? Dipper didn't care that his life was on the line, completely based on the sirens return, all he wanted was his friend back. They were friends, weren't they? 

So why did he worry that Bill wouldn't return? Dipper had accepted at some point while he was on the ship that he would more than likely find a watery death awaiting him in the briny deep, but that wasn't really what he was worried about. Now, he just wanted his friend back. 

Someone was always with him. It was as though they feared he would jump overboard if they didn't watch him constantly. It was a valid fear, and he understood why they were doing it. The other members of the crew would stand close but give him his space, never speaking.

Dipper wouldn’t have acknowledged them anyways. His best friend was in the water, and as the hours crept past, Dipper was sure Bill wasn’t going to come back.

He hadn’t even been this upset when he lost his cat, or when he stopped talking to his parents. Yet somewhere along the line, he had stopped wanting to be friends and wanted to be more.

Bill though, had barely given him any affection, and showed no interest in wanting to be anything more than friends. In fact he still looked at Dipper sometimes as though he was part of the enemy, and Dipper would have to win the golden siren over with fish and more lessons.

Dipper wasn't sure he could go back to his room and see the carvings on the walls, see the books on sirens that had been edited, to see the tub where his friend had been living. 

He knew it was cruel, he knew it was selfish. Dipper knew that Bill belonged in the sea where he came from, to see if his family was okay. Bill hadn't asked Dipper to free him though. 

Dipper leaned over the edge, looking down into the water as though he would magically be able to see more than a couple of feet. Bill wasn't anywhere to be seen.

Gideon was getting impatient behind him, and even that made Dipper cringe. He didn't want to die just yet. 

He deserved this though. Dipper instantly blamed himself for believing that someone could care, for keeping someone he cared about locked away. Bill deserved his freedom. 

“He ain't comin’ back.” Gideon spoke behind Dipper, hand still holding his gun. “What are you gonna do?”

Dipper bit back the response of ‘nothing’ that wanted to escape his lips. Gideon truly didn't understand why he was so adamant about Bill returning. If Gideon didn't want Bill to leave, then why did he take that chance to let him go?

“Thought he'd come back if you were on the line.” Gideon looked just as disappointed as Dipper was over this fact.

Dipper didn't look away from the water. “He only ever reacted if I threatened you anyways.” He  still didn't glance away. He just knew the moment he did that Bill would appear in the water and he'd miss the sight of him appearing.

Gideon finally turned away from Dipper, disappointed to not get any reactions out of the other. 

“Why did you let him go?” Dipper finally asked, nails slightly digging into the wood of the ship. “If you wanted him to come back, why'd you let him go?”

The captain looked stricken for a moment, but Dipper didn't see it since he wasn't looking away from the water. Gideon didn't understand exactly why he had taken the chance, but reasoned that Bill had cared enough about Dipper to return.

Though if Bill took the chance to leave, who would have blamed him? Gideon couldn’t really kill Dipper, not when Mabel would have hated him for it. Though those words would never have passed his lips.

“Thought he’d care enough about you to come back.” Gideon muttered, glaring down at the deck of the ship. Dipper didn’t look away from the water.

“I thought so too,” Dipper whispered.

Gideon walked away, and put Ghost Eyes up to watch him.  Dipper was ignored, though he didn’t let that last for long. He never took his eyes off the water as he moved to the side, slowly lowering the row boat.

“When Bill comes back, he’ll need this to get back.” Dipper muttered, and no one bothered to fight him on it.

It was as though everyone could tell he was so upset, and they let him do as he pleased. Dipper could have just jumped overboard, and he had a feeling that he could get away with murder. After all, he had just lost the person he loved.

Loved?

Yes, Dipper could say love, and it broke his heart more. He wanted his love back. Dipper didn’t even care if that love was unrequited, he wanted it.

The boat was lowered safely in the water, and Dipper waited patiently. How much longer? It had been hours, at the least, and the sun was starting to get low in the sky by this time. Dipper still couldn’t look away from the water.

Yet finally, something happened, and the water rippled in a way that wasn’t natural with the choppy waters. Dipper leaned forward until he was almost hanging off, and Ghost Eyes had to reach up and grab him to prevent him from falling over.

Blond hair slowly appeared from the water, and blue eyes met Dipper’s own. The siren had a golden crown on his head and more jewels adorning his hands, as well as necklaces and chains around his neck.

Bill pulled himself into the small boat, and other crew hauled the boat in up. The siren was still decorated, and people were shouting for Gideon, but Dipper only had eyes for Bill. 

_ Why sad? _

Dipper hadn’t realized he was crying until he had seen the other sign that, and brushed away the small tears of relief that had formed on his cheek. The siren himself didn’t look happy either, but sad as well, and Dipper couldn’t stop beaming.

_ You came back. _

Dipper signed that back, and the siren’s face fell. Perhaps he wasn’t going to come back and changed his mind, and decided to not leave Dipper alone. Dipper didn’t even care, he was just happy that Bill decided to come back.

As soon as the siren came up, Dipper didn’t hesitate, coming as close as he could without touching. They didn’t touch often, and Dipper didn’t want to give Bill any reason to leave him alone again. Though last time, he couldn’t help himself.

Yet it hardly seemed a moment before the siren was reaching over and wrapping his arms around Dipper, pulling the brunet against his chest. Dipper melted into Bill’s embrace, and wondered what could have happened. It didn’t matter anymore.

  
Bill rested his head on Dipper’s shoulder, not caring that he was getting Dipper wet with seawater. And if Dipper had water on his shoulder, it was most certainly from the sea, and not from Bill’s eyes as he mourned the loss of his family.


	16. All for me

The crown had been taken off of Bill’s head almost as soon as Gideon's chubby fingers could grab it. It was easy to tell that the crown was Gideon's favorite thing he brought, the rest of the treasure not nearly worth as much as the golden crown.

Dipper got no share of the treasure, but he didn't mind. To him, the real treasure and his reward had been when Bill surfaced and came back him. Dipper didn't realize how suffocating loneliness was until he was faced with that option again. The crew was nice, but Dipper was an outcast among them, and he knew it. Bill was the only one who seemed to actually want his company just for his company.

The siren was placed below deck once more before they could enjoy any sunlight together, and Gideon started the ship to a new location. This time to another port, but he made the promise that if Bill kept coming back with treasure, there would be no need for him to put Bill on display.

_Bigger tank?_

Bill had only asked for that in his time there, and Gideon considered it. They had more than enough money with all the gold that Bill brought in, but he was just lazy and didn't want to spend money on something that didn't seem necessary.

“Maybe.” Gideon relented, and then ordered them below deck. Bill didn't comment again, but kept glancing at Dipper as though the brunet would have all of the answers in the world.

Dipper didn't say anything until they were below deck and alone once more, and it was like Bill never went outside. The tank was back in its place, the carvings were still on the wall, and the books were still haphazardly strewn about the room. Bill didn't look at peace in the tank, but he looked like he was home. Like he belonged there.

“Why did you come back?” Dipper asked, pulling up a chair so he could sit next to the siren.

Bill shrugged, not wanting to talk about the memories that were too fresh.

_Window?_

Bill was always a fan of having the window open, and Dipper did so without comment. It was nice to get the fresh sea air in the cabin. Though he knew this was just a way for Bill to avoid his questions.

“You came back for me to open the window?” Dipper asked sarcastically, but it still got a silent chuckle from Bill and a smirk from Dipper. Though the sirens eyes were still sad, and Dipper didn't know how to make it better. He didn't even know if he _could_ make it better.

_Yes_

Dipper couldn't help but laugh at that, and leaned over to push Bill a bit playfully. He got a smirk from the siren, but then he settled back in his chair. He was really burning with curiosity, he just didn't know how to bring it up without being a jerk.

“Really, Bill, why did you come back?” Dipper asked softly. They both knew that there was one answer Dipper really wanted to hear. Bill could see it easily written on the others face, and he was thankful that the answer Dipper wanted to hear was the truth.

_You._

Dipper’s face was still in shock as he processed what Bill said, glancing down at his own hands in surprise. He didn’t really know what to say, but Bill’s single word made him flush with joy. He was important enough to Bill for the siren to return. He was the reason Bill came back. No one had ever done such a thing for him before.

“I’m glad you came back.” Dipper ended up whispering, looking down at his hands still. Mabel would have come back for him, and his uncles would have, but he didn’t think that he was that important to anyone else.

Bill seemed content to watch him for a moment, before he reached out and tapped Dipper’s knee to get his attention.

It was interesting to see the human get so flustered over something that was the truth. Did humans have courting rituals? Bill didn’t know, but he suddenly wanted to find out and do those things to Dipper.

He would have to give the courting rituals for sirens to Dipper. He wasn’t sure if the other would like the jewels and pearls that normally came with courting, but he liked the idea of it, and if Dipper didn’t like it, then Bill would get something new.

_I’m glad I came back too._

Bill was improving so much with his words, that Dipper felt a rush of pride as the siren managed to sign the whole sentence, with no choppy words. Bill was improving every day, and Dipper did place some of the pride for that on himself. No one else on the crew knew sign language, or at least not that Dipper knew about. Someone could always surprise him.

“You're improving so much with your signing.” Dipper complimented softly.

Bill was surprised for a moment before he gave a large grin, looking quite proud of himself.

_You should have heard me sing_

Some of the words had to be spelled out, but Dipper didn't mind. It made their conversations last longer, and it made Bill put more effort into his sentences. Though Dipper did make a mental note to search through the books and go over words Bill had to spell.

“Do you miss being able to sing?” Dipper asked suddenly, almost shocked that he never considered the fact. Bill was a siren, of course he would miss singing, but somehow it never dawned on Dipper. Then again, who wouldn't miss something that they once had?

Dipper’s answer came almost as soon as he asked the question, and he watched the sirens face fall. It was like any sort of happiness just left him, leaving behind a shell of sadness.

“I'm sorry, that was a stupid thing to ask.” Dipper mumbled, head hanging in shame. For a moment, there was nothing to be said. Bill seemed hurt, and Dipper never knew how to make amends for things he said. He knew what to do with Mabel, but they were twins, and that didn’t really count.

Bill eventually moved, poking Dipper’s knee and then letting his head pop out of the water. Dipper stared at him, waiting to be yelled at or berated, or something, but nothing happened. Bill seemed content to stare at him.

_Yes. More than anything._

That didn’t seem like the complete truth, but at least they were talking again. Bill opened his mouth as though that would show how he could sing, but all he did was make a huffing sound when he couldn’t make a noise. Dipper resisted the urge to laugh, holding back in case that made the siren upset.

“I can’t sing to save my life.” Dipper ended up laughing at himself. “I’d sing for you, but I think I’d just ruin all songs in general.”

Bill’s face fell, and Dipper sighed for a moment as he really wondered if he should sing. He had no idea if he would be welcome to sing, or if he was really a terrible singer, but Mabel always complained when he sang while bathing.

“Okay, but if I ruin singing altogether for you, I don’t want to hear any complaints.” Dipper sighed, but even he had to smile when he saw Bill’s face light up. He quickly tried to think of what song to sing.

 _‘I had a dream the other night_   
_About how we only get one life_   
_Woke me up right after two_   
_Stayed awake and stared at you_   
_So I wouldn't lose my mind_   
_And I had the week that came from hell_   
_And yes I know that you could tell_   
_But you're like the net under the ledge_   
_When I go flying off the edge_ _  
You go flying off as well’_

Dipper’s voice cracked horribly, and even though he wanted to stop, he couldn’t bring himself to stop when Bill looked at him that way. He didn’t want to disappoint. He flushed a deeper shade of red the more his voice cracked.

When he was all done, Bill looked happy, if not a little jealous, and Dipper was completely flushed. He had no idea what he was doing, but he really hoped singing wouldn’t become a regular thing now.

_Not bad, Dipper._

Dipper pretended to ignore the large smile on his face, and Bill pretended that he didn’t feel the burning sadness in his chest of his inability to sing.


	17. A Glimpse

Chapter 17

One thing Bill knew what swimming was that he should never go near marked territories. He knew of only a couple, but Bill avoided them as though his life depended on it. Though it didn't really make a difference, the claimed territories were all of those that belonged to humans. 

The seaweed was a bit rougher than normal, since he had traveled farther than before. He was coming close to a place where humans were known to rest, but he hadn’t seen them much before in this area. Bill rolled around in the water, barely even making a current. He was hunting for his family, trying his best to make sure he actually caught something. Now he had to travel further than he normally did to get a decent meal for his family, but at least it let him see more of his territory.

He hadn’t seen a single fish while he was searching, but he wasn’t that bothered about it. Right now, his brother was out hunting as well, hopefully getting a better catch than Bill was.

He sighed and rolled over on his back, still swimming and staring up at the surface. It was strange to feel actual sunlight on his skin when it wasn’t filtered through the water, and he found that it was still interesting to feel when it was directly on his skin. Bill didn’t particularly like it, but he wouldn’t mind staying up there for longer.

If he stayed up on the surface. His mother had always warned him of what could happen when he went to the surface, of the humans who weren’t nice. Even saying ‘not nice’ was too much leeway for humans, according to his mother, as most were nothing short of cruel at times.

Bill turned and started swimming again, looking around at the blank seabed around him. He had no idea where all the fish were, and suddenly it made sense. Fish only hid for one particular thing, when predators weren’t around. Bill could be considered a predator, but fish didn’t swim away from him, since their instincts didn’t say anything about sirens.

He looked up just as the net descended on him, spitting him in the fine webs. The golden siren instantly squirmed, trying to get away from the webbing but unable to do much. The net was weaved so finely that he couldn’t even dig his claws into it and try to get free. There was no traction for him to get free.

There were no other fish in the net, and he was the only catch. Bill snarled into the water as he tried to free himself, but he couldn’t gain an inch of room. In fact, all he could do was struggle in vain as the net was suddenly traveling to the surface, and Bill could only lay there in the net as he was gasping and breathing pure air for the first time in his life.

“We got a good catch this time, boys!” The humans below him started to gather, and Bill could only squirm as he frantically tried to get free. He had no idea if he was over the giant floating thing the humans rested on, but at least if he got free he might be able to land back in the water.

It was too late. The net that was holding him released him, and he fell hard onto the surface of the ship. He grunted, landing hard on his back and the air leaving his lungs before he could take in another breath.

All around him, there were humans. They were staring down at him, some shocked, some disinterested, some horrified. Bill rolled onto his front, coughing and trying to get used to breathing air and not water as he adjusted to being on the ship and not in his home. 

He opened his mouth, gasping for air and revealing a large set of razor sharp teeth. The humans gasped, backing up and then surging forward closer to him. Before Bill could do anything, hands were traveling over him and pinning him to the hard surface that only could remind him of coral. He squirmed, feeling strange hands against his skin and tail, but he couldn’t get away. He could only struggle and hiss out in pain as he was immobilized.

“Someone gag it!”

“Get some rope!”

“Watch out, those are some sharp teeth.”

Bill hissed again as someone suddenly placed their hand over his mouth, and there was a stabbing pain in his tail as someone shoved something right through the wispy end of his tail, and pinned it to the ground. Bill would have cried out in pain if it hadn’t been for the hand still placed over his mouth.

Still struggling despite the pain, Bill felt his hands bound together in front of him and the hand over his mouth was removed for just a moment before more rope was shoved there as well. Bill hadn’t even been given a moment to try to sing, and now he was nothing more than a sitting duck, lying on the hard surface of the humans strange floating device.

“We caught a mermaid.” Someone spoke up, and the crew erupted into cheers as though they had done anything more than stand around when Bill got himself caught in a net. 

Bill had never been so close to humans before. They were strange creatures, with how they stood and walked and carried themselves. Bill did nothing more than just lay there and reach down, trying to feel where he was hurt the most but unable to do anything other than feel the blood slowly spreading across his tail. He was going to die.

“We gotta make sure he doesn’t try to get out. Someone get the tub and someone else go and get me the sharpest knife we got.” Their leader spoke up, coming closer to Bill and squatting down near him. Bill would have hissed and lashed out, but all he could do now was glare.

Then the hands were spreading, and Bill couldn’t move a muscle as humans grabbed his chin and forced it back as far as possible. He could hardly breathe as it was, still getting used to the feeling of air in his lungs, but the position made it even worse.

“Don’t let ‘im move a muscle. This is gonna hurt.” The leader spoke up, and Bill couldn’t see where he was from how he was pinned. Yet humans were holding him tightly, he couldn’t even squirm, and Bill was closer to biting his own tongue off than biting one of the humans.

Then there was something pressing against his neck, not anything sharp but something that was blunt. It pressed against his neck lightly, pushing and breaking the skin. Bill stilled only because if he didn’t, he risked harming himself further, and if only for the slight hope that it might stop the injuries further.

It didn’t though, and the blunt object was pushing further into his neck, and Bill could feel the blood from the wound dripping down onto the surface of the ship. Everything was silent as the captain started his work, and Bill could only lay there and hope it would end soon.

Except it didn’t end soon. It was a long time of blood spilling onto the ship and worried whispers among the crew. It was Bill lying limp on the ship as he tried to focus on anything other than the pain. Yet pain was all he could think about when he was lying in a puddle of his own blood and felt like he couldn’t breathe. 

Then it stopped. A sickening sound was heard as the pirate ripped flesh from Bill’s throat, throwing the discarded bit of muscle off the side of the ship. If Bill had any kind of strength before, it was gone now as the pirates walked away from him, leaving him lying on the deck of the ship.

“What did ya do, captain?” Someone asked, and Bill found himself staring at the clouds as he kept bleeding. If anything, the pirates seemed more frightened of him now than before. The only sign that Bill was alive was the flicker of movement in the end of his tail.

“Made it so he can’t sing no more.” The captain wiped excess blood off the edge of his coat. “He’ll fetch a pretty price at the docks. Go and get the tub to put him in.”

Bill stared up at the sky, having never seen it before without the haze of water. He stared at the sight, wishing that his first glimpse of it hadn’t been laced with so much pain.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So sorry for the slow update. I've been dealing with so much emotional baggage lately, I can hardly think straight. I've lost motivation for a lot of things, but I'm finding it again for this fic.


	18. I'm so sorry

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Might have forgotten to post this yesterday. Either way enjoy!

There was something about the way Dipper walked that made Bill’s attention immediately swivel over to the brunet and focus everything on the brunet. The brunet didn't walk often when they were in the room, since Dipper was either constantly sitting by the tub talking with bill or sitting in his hammock and reading. However, Bill found that the more excited Dipper got, the more of a reason the brunet had to get up and start walking around. Dipper, for being shy at times, was an expressive person, and it showed with the way he talked excitedly and waved his hands.

  
“What was it like?” Dipper asked, waving his hands more. “I've never seen any sunken treasure, it must have been amazing. I wonder if you'd be able to take me one day, though I don't think Gideon would be up for that…”

  
Dipper went into all of the ways he could possibly help Bill while he was down there, seeming to forget that he wouldn't be able to breathe underwater. Bill didn't mind too much, resting his head in his arms and smiling fondly at the brunet. It was just nice to be back, even if the tub hurt his back and Gideon was cruel at times.

  
“You came back though, I can't believe you came back!” Dipper threw his hands up, talking more to himself now than Bill. “Why did you come back? Yeah it would have hurt, but I would have understood. Heck, I wouldn't have come back.”

  
Bill shrugged, even though Dipper wasn't paying attention to him. The reason he came back was standing in front of him, after all, and Dipper didn't seem to realize that. Bill sunk underneath the water for a moment, not breathing it in but just resting to give his dried out gills a chance to relax.

  
“-and I mean, yeah, Gideon would have killed me but it's nothing really, you deserve freedom and is it horrible I wanted you to come back?” Dipper was still talking when Bill resurfaced. “It is, I shouldn't want you here with me, but I do. I'm such a horrible person keeping you trapped here.”

  
Bill shook his head frantically, but it didn't seem to affect Dipper since the human just turned to sit down and stare at the floor. Bill’s return was both a bad thing and a good thing, apparently, even though his heart longed for the ocean, he also longed to be here with Dipper. It was a conundrum, that was for sure, but Bill made his choice and he was prepared to live with it.

  
“Bill, I'm so-.”

  
The door slammed open, effectively cutting off Dipper and making Bill shrink down in his tank and bare his teeth. He honestly hated being here, but Dipper was here and Ripper was all that Bill wanted. It would just have to be an even trade off, since Bill wasn't giving Dipper up for anything.

  
It was just Ghost Eyes, looking at the door and taking extra care to make sure he didn't break it. The large pirate was always breaking doors, but at least it wasn't Gideon storming into the room.

  
“I didn't break it.” The large pirate said, much to everyone's relief. “Gideon wants to see you on deck, Dipper. Says it's important.”

  
The brunet groaned a little, scrubbing his face with his hands as he wondered what Gideon could possibly want now. It was never anything good, that was for sure. Bill watched on silently as he always did, and Ghost Eyes left since his message had been delivered.

  
“He probably just wants to know how he looks with all of his new jewels on.” Dipper muttered, which seemed like a viable option. Bill gave a laugh, his mouth opening but no sound coming out.  
“I'll be back.”

  
The brunet waved awkwardly as he walked out, as though he wasn't sure how he would be able to say goodbye without it being awkward. Goodbyes were always a hard thing in Bill’s opinion, and he would rather go without them anyways.

  
Gideon was sitting at his desk, back as straight as a board as it always was when he sat there. The ship was running smoothly enough that he didn’t feel the need to be on deck, and instead he just relaxed in his cabin and waited.

  
For what, he wasn’t really sure. The siren had come back, he could now make a steady income with this new adventure. Of course Gideon would always be taking a risk every time dumped the siren into the water, but it was worth it for the treasures he would bring back. If the siren didn’t come back, well, Dipper would always be there to pay that price.

  
There was a soft knock at the door before Dipper walked in. Gideon didn’t speak immediately, looking Dipper up and down for a moment as he folded his chubby hands in his lap. Why did he summon Dipper to his room? There was nothing they needed to talk about, nothing that needed to be said between them, though it wasn’t like anything they said ever ended well.

  
“You wanted to see me?” Dipper crossed his arms, the lightest of frowns on his face. No doubt that Gideon had interrupted the time Dipper would have been spending with the siren, and that was okay. Gideon suddenly remembered just why he wanted Dipper here in the first place. The other male was getting a bit too chummy with that siren, that was for sure.

  
“I did.” Gideon brought his hands to the desk, letting himself lean a bit of weight against the desk. The charted course was out in front of him, showing a map of parts of America and Europe, some of the places with small marks and notes written on the map. Gideon was just planning to make sure that he was going someplace safe next time they visited port. The siren’s value had tripled to Gideon in the span of a couple of hours, and he just wanted to keep that safe.

  
“You and that...siren.” He had to think of a way to phrase it so Dipper wouldn’t get too upset with him yet. Gideon wasn’t sure that ‘fish’ was an appropriate word. “Have gotten close, haven’t you?”

  
Dipper frowned a little, looking down at Gideon and trying to figure out just what Gideon was trying to get at. Eventually he nodded, though he wasn’t sure what he was giving up by letting Gideon know just that. It was pretty clear to everyone else on the ship either way.

  
“Yeah, figured that.” Gideon muttered. “Well, what’s a guy to do? You been doin’ so well, gettin’ on his good side.”

  
Dipper was shocked, even going as far as to take a step back as his scowl deepened. Bill and Dipper were close, but not in the way that Gideon was thinking, and not in a way that Dipper was willing to take advantage of.

  
“Maybe because I don’t beat him up day and night.” Dipper muttered, not even reacting as Gideon stood up from his chair, the legs scraping harshly against the floor. “Unlike you.”

  
“I just helped him learn his place.” Gideon sneered a little, walking to the other side of his desk so he could stare Dipper down. “Just like you seem to always need to learn your place.”

  
Dipper didn’t back down, and Gideon walked a couple steps so they were almost face to face. Gideon was still always going to be shorter than the brunet, but he still managed to look intimidating with how much bigger he was than Dipper.

  
“Listen, keep up what you’re doing and get close to him. Maybe then I won’t have to string him up at port to make some extra money. He needs to earn his keep around here just like you do.” Gideon spat after a moment.

“Stop pissin’ about and just do a good job for once.”

  
Dipper took a step back, crossing his arms tightly over his chest. Gideon could have rolled his eyes as he saw Dipper’s typical ‘I’m upset’ pose, and in fact did just that.

  
“I’m taking care of him like you ordered, so just decide what you want to do with him already.” Dipper rolled his eyes once

Gideon did. “Just decide what you want to do with him already.”

  
The implications that Dipper didn’t really care about the siren rolled over Gideon easily. Did the other not care? Gideon was going to have to test this theory out.

  
“Then if you really don’t care, I’ll sell him when we get to port.” Gideon called the others bluff. “If he’s such a burden to take of, ya won’t mind if we get rid of him.” 

  
Dipper blanched a little, taking another step back, but Gideon easily took another step forward to follow. The brunet pursed his lips when he realized he wasn’t going to be getting away so easily, and silently suffered in place instead.

  
“Fine, sell him at port.” Dipper spat the words out, and Gideon couldn’t even hide his surprise. “He’s better there than on this ship.”

  
Quick as a whip, Gideon struck Dipper’s cheek in a backhanded slap before either of them could react. Gideon finally took a step back as Dipper cradled his cheek, a reaction that Gideon was almost sad to say he had seen before.  
“Get out of here.” Gideon snarled, composing himself as quickly as he could. “We'll get to port soon enough.”

  
Dipper turned on his heel to leave, still cradling his injured cheek, and Gideon just barely got the glimpse of blood there. Dipper deserved it, Gideon told himself, for talking back.

  
“If you do sell him, at least he'll probably go to a place that doesn't use their fists to keep people in line.” Dipper said finally, before rushing out of the room as Gideon took a finally step forward.

The door slammed shut, and Gideon was left alone once more.  
At the very least, if the siren was gone then Gideon could go back to how he was before. He could ignore the strange feelings in his chest that bubbled up from guilt.


	19. Good Enough

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry this took a long time to update. I've recently gone through a couple things, and well, this wasn't the first thing on my mind. There's only one chapter after this though! Thank you all for taking this journey with me.

The morning light of port and the shouts of people were interesting to hear the least. Dipper had absolutely no interest in leaving the ship when there was something so interesting right in his room. So what if Bill looked longingly out the window? So what if Bill perked up every time he heard sea songs and even moved his mouth along with the words?

“Bill.” Dipper sighed, waving his hand in front of the siren’s face. With a slow blink the siren looked at him, leaning his head on the edge of the tub. “Are you okay? I know, it must be hard, do you want me to close the window?”

_ No _

The word was signed faster than anything Bill had done all day, and quickly all the attention went back to the window and the noises he heard. Dipper couldn’t help but sigh once more, more upset that Bill was paying attention to something that wasn’t him.

“Okay.” Dipper said quietly, looking over the tub and checking the water. It needed to be changed, but Dipper wasn’t able to do that on his own when no one else was there with him. He pointedly ignored the way bruises seemed to be forming on the golden scales, and how there were sores and dark marks on Bill’s back from constantly having to lay in the tub a certain way.

Eventually moving slowly, Dipper sat on the floor and leaned his back against the tub, feeling the sirens arms snake out from the water to wrap around his shoulders. Dipper had the book propped up against his lap, reading a passage aloud for Bill’s entertainment, and trying to distract him of the want to be outside. 

“Do you miss being on the pier?” Dipper asked in a quiet whisper when he had trailed off from reading for the sixth time and Bill had to poke his cheek to get his attention. 

_ Do you regret? _

“No.” Dipper answered quickly, leaning his head back  to rest against the siren when he felt Bill rest his chin on his shoulder. “You just look so sad, and at least there you had been in the open.”

_ Pain. Lots of pain.  _

Tentatively, almost pulling back a couple times, Bill reached down to take one of Dipper’s hand from his book, bringing it to his own throat to feel along the rough and bumpy scar. Dipper felt his breath catch at the action and the huge display of trust, eventually letting his hand move to just hold Bill’s own. 

“Did they do that to you? At the pier?” Dipper didn't care if he got caught, he would go back and inflict the same pain that they caused Bill. Dipper would protect the only friend he had, even at the cost of his own life. 

_ Pirate. Not pier.  _

“Pirate? You were captured by pirates?” Just like what Dipper was. No wonder he hated being on this ship. Dipper still almost couldn't believe that Bill had come back, come back to the torture and pain of being confined constantly. “What happened to them?”

Bill shrugged, opting to bury his face against Dipper’s shoulder since it was right there. It made sense that Bill wouldn’t know what happened to him after he was taken away from those pirates, but Dipper just hoped they were suffering. They deserved it after the hell that they put Bill through, the hell the siren was still going through.

“I’m sorry.” Dipper whispered, voice cracking slightly with grief and stress and guilt. Bill didn’t say anything, just tightening his grip on Dipper’s shoulders and refusing to look up.

“I should have been there, I should have looked after you, you shouldn’t have come back. Why didn’t you leave when you had the chance?” Dipper asked, not really expecting an answer, curling up more around the arms that were around him. He had no idea what he wanted right now, but he just wanted Bill to stay with him.

He didn’t get an answer besides feeling Bill press more against him, the tub suddenly becoming more of a hinderance than anything else. Dipper wanted to hear that Bill wouldn’t leave him, he wanted to hear that Bill wouldn’t leave him, he wanted to hear a lot of things. And in a way, it was never really going to happen because Bill couldn’t speak. He’d never really be able to tell Dipper everything he wanted to hear.

Bill did pull away though, and for a long moment Dipper didn’t do anything other than wrap his arms around himself and try to get ahold of himself. He was being stupid, he should be happy that Bill was back, but all he really felt was a guilt.

It was like keeping a bird caged in silver. The cage was pretty, it was home, but it was still a cage, despite everything. Bill couldn’t go out and explore the ocean, he couldn’t see his family, and he couldn’t do anything but lay in the water that was turning stale, and look at books which had places he would never be able to see. 

Eventually getting up and slowly wiping the tears he didn’t know he was shedding from his face, Dipper turned around and looked at Bill who was staring at the ceiling blankly. Dipper didn’t know what to say for a long moment, but eventually hazy blue eyes turned to him and looked down carefully, one hand going up to trace along the scar.

_ Am I not good enough for you? _

Dipper was certain that he actually felt his heart tear apart at those signed words. Dipper shook his head frantically, wiping away the tears and just trying to keep calm and not fall back into tears. He had shed too many tears already.

“No, no, Bill, that’s not it.” Dipper said softly, leaning down to take Bill’s hands. The books he had once been reading were now placed to the side, more like thrown to the side in getting up to give Bill attention, but it really didn’t matter.

“I’m sorry, it’s just…” Dipper couldn’t even explain it, he moved, sitting down at the edge of the tub and then getting into the cold water. It made goosebumps rise on his skin, and it made him shiver slightly as he wrapped his arms around Dipper in a tight hug, but he couldn’t even stretch out his legs. It must have been hard to lay in the water constantly, Dipper was uncomfortable barely in there for a moment.

“You’re good enough for me, you really are Bill. I’m just not good enough for you.” Dipper said softly, feeling the siren’s arms wrap tightly around him and for the first time they could actually hug and enjoy each others company without the edge of the tub getting in their way.

It was silence, it was the sounds of the pier right outside their window. It was comfort and hugs, and it was love. It was fingers brushing over skin and wet clothes, it was scales glittering in the light, it was soft breaths and reassurances that everything was okay. 

And hours later when the crew finally came back to the boat, and the sounds of the pier had faded, they were still laying in the tub together, with hands intertwined and Bill’s soft breath of sleep in Dipper’s hair. Some things would change, some things would never change, but Dipper wished that this never would end. He wanted nothing more than to lay there in the cold water and get a chill, he wanted to wonder what tomorrow would bring, but he already knew what would happen tonight. Tonight everything would change.


	20. Goodbye

Nights on a ship were longer than the nights on the pier. Bill learned that the way he leaned everything, with time and patience and nothing better to do. He learned that when he had the long nights to himself, and he learned that when staring at the sleeping form of Dipper on his cot. 

Yet for the first time in a long time, Bill fell into sleep with ease. He slept with Dipper still pressed against his chest and finally feeling warm in the longest time. Just because the ocean was cold in some places, it didn’t mean that he was used to the feeling of cold water constantly against his skin. He might be more used to the cold, but that certainly didn’t mean that he didn’t like it. It was nice to have a weight against his chest and to just feel the way that someone breathed against him. There was nothing more than warmth and understanding, and Dipper wasn’t the only one who never wanted the cuddles to end.

So maybe that was why he drifted off into sleep so easily, forgetting about troubles and worries and just relaxing, and maybe that’s why he didn’t wake up when Dipper finally rose out of the tank and cleaned himself up from the water. It was colder without Dipper there, but Dipper was unwilling to sit in the water for longer when he knew what he should be doing.

Quickly changing out of his clothes, Dipper stood there for a long moment, with water still pooling around his feet and sadness in his heart. Bill didn’t look very different from the way he had when he was on the pier, curled up on the bottom of a tank and so used to a routine that he didn’t even look up when he was forced to show off his tail and scar on his throat.

“I should have done this a long time ago.” Dipper whispered, kneeling beside the tank and brushing his fingers over the slim contours of Bill’s face. “You deserves so much better than this, I’m sorry I was so selfish to you.”

That’s all he was, selfish. He was stupid enough to get trapped on a pirate ship, he was stupid enough to keep someone captive when they didn’t need to be held captive. He had no doubt that there were reasons why Bill had stayed, but really it had all become too much. Dipper could be selfish until the cows came home, but now he wasn’t able to do it anymore. It wasn’t healthy.

Brushing his thumbs over Bill’s cheeks, Dipper just couldn’t help but stare at the siren. It wasn’t fair, and it wasn’t easy, but he could make believe that it was all okay until the truth was staring him blank in the face. This wasn’t healthy, this wasn’t okay.

Dipper finally felt he understood why caged birds still sing.

He could waste away the hours, sitting there, staring at the siren and know what it was going to hurt, trying to pull away but unable to. Once he pulled away, he wouldn’t have an excuse to keep Bill there. Once he moved, there wouldn’t be one thing keeping him there and keeping them both locked in a bad situation.

There was no choice anymore, at least Dipper told himself that. There wasn’t a choice in this matter. Doing what was right wasn’t always easy, but it was what needed to be done, and Dipper was just sorry that it had taken him so long to realize it. 

In some time of being so selfish and not wanting to let go of the one person who cared about him, in the time of realizing what support looked like and what it was like to love, Dipper had started to ignore the way that Bill had bruises, the way he longingly looked out the window, the way that whatever light had been in his eyes slowly started to disappear.

Yet all he could do was lean forward gently, pressing a small kiss against Bill’s forehead. He hadn’t even fully moved away, but it was absolutely terrible. It was a break he knew would have to happen, but no one ever told him how much it would hurt. Dipper always thought he had been through the worst, that he had been through everything he could throw at people, but apparently life still had surprises.

Bill was heavy. He was heavy in a way that Dipper couldn’t describe, but probably a lot lighter than if he had been healthy. While laying down with the siren he hadn’t been able to feel the bones and muscles through his clothes, but now he could feel the bones easily jutting out. 

It was a small grunt Dipper managed to lift Bill out of the water, even though a part of his tail dragged on the ground and followed behind them. Dipper was thankful for every single activity on the ship that allowed him to build up muscles for this moment.

Bill stirred sleepily, wrapping his arms around Dipper’s shoulders. It wasn’t the first time that they had done something like this at night, since Gideon didn’t really like them changing the water for the tank when he was around. Dipper just liked avoiding a fight that might result in Bill getting hurt.

“Shh, go back to sleep,” Dipper reassured gently, grunting a little as he struggled to open the door. Eventually Bill had to move and open the door, slowly waking up more and wondering just what was going on. He didn’t do anything other than wrap his arms back around Dipper.

Dipper had to duck inside of a closet with Bill once to avoid being seen, he almost fell getting them up the stairs of the ship, but somehow he managed it. Bill’s free hand was moving at a mile a minute, trying to figure out the reason why they were on deck, why no one else was out, why Dipper was doing this.

“I’m just doing what I should have done a while ago,” Dipper panted as he finally managed to carry Bill over to the edge of the ship, setting Bill on the railing. “I’m sorry.”

_ For wh- _

Bill didn’t get to finish what he was signing, Dipper shoved hard on the siren’s chest and sent him falling back into the water. Bill landed with a hard splash, and Dipper leaned over the edge of the railing to stare down at the dark water that almost looked black. For a moment, it was absolute darkness and silence, until Bill finally surfaced again with a look of confusion on his face.

_ What’s going on? _

Dipper sighed, leaning his head in his hands and shaking his head. It hurt. It was like looking at a puppy and telling it to get lost. Bill looked completely at ease in the water, just reminding Dipper that some birds can be okay when caged, but others wouldn’t be.

“I thought...that everything was going to be okay, that everything was fine, but it’s not,” Dipper tightened his grip on the railing until his knuckles turned white, “I can’t do this anymore, I can’t lie to you about this. You need to go.”

Bill sank a bit more into the water, low enough that only his shoulders were showing. He looked so hurt, and Dipper didn’t even know what he could do to make this better.

It’s all for the best, Dipper kept telling himself. It needed to be done.

_ When they wake up, they will hurt you _ .

Dipper shrugged helplessly. He had never even gotten a kiss from the siren. Everything hurt, and he could feel himself slowly starting to detach to get through this. He had to get through this.

“Get out of here, Bill. You should have never come back in the first place.” 

Even Bill flinched back from the words that left Dipper’s mouth, even if salted tears poured from the brunet’s eyes to slowly land on the railing where his hands were starting to cramp they were clutching so tightly. 

There was a second where there was nothing more than the shuddering breaths of Dipper and the waves lapping at the side of the boat as sounds. Bill stared, Dipper looked down at the water and waited to see the flicker of a tail that signaled a goodbye that he would never be able to hear.

“D….Dipper.”

The voice was a harsh croak that sounded painful, making Dipper’s gaze snap up as he looked over at the siren. Bill had one had pressed against his throat and a look of pain, but he also looked as stubborn as all hell and refusing to move.

“Get out of here, Bill, I don’t want to see you again.” Dipper whispered, almost sobbing now and hunched over the railing. 

“Pl-please.”

Dipper couldn’t resist that, a voice that sounded like so much pain and so much heartbreak, and this  _ wasn’t how it was meant to happen, dammit,  _ but Dipper’s gaze finally stayed on the siren for longer than a second, with Bill looking just as close to crying as Dipper already was.

_ Come with me. _

It was signed, and Dipper suspected that whatever power he had used to talk was gone, because the words signed meant more to Dipper than anything else in the world. It wasn’t meant to happen like this, Bill was meant to get into the water and just swim away, to leave and forget about the years of abuse and torture, but as Dipper stood there staring down at the siren who was asking one of the main reasons why he was abused to go with him.

Yet recovery wasn’t so easy. So maybe Bill wanted to enjoy time with the one person who was kind to him, maybe Dipper was reading too much into the situation. Maybe there were other people that could have been better than this, who wouldn’t make the same decisions and have the same regrets as Bill did. So Dipper did the only sensible thing in the world.

He jumped.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This fic was inspired by my best friend, in our chats and our rp. Recently, we had a falling out, and so I can only hope she's reading this. In a way, this is my goodbye to her.

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [A Lullaby And Another Night](https://archiveofourown.org/works/6147754) by [Cannellia](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cannellia/pseuds/Cannellia)




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